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Article published In: Names and Naming
Edited by Philipp Krämer, Eeva M. Sippola and Rachel Selbach
[Journal of Pidgin and Creole Languages 41:1] 2026
► pp. 1–26

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Introduction

Creole onomastics

Names and naming in and for creole languages

ORCiD logo with link | Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
ORCiD logo with link | University of Helsinki, Finland
 | University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Available under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at rights@benjamins.nl.

Open Access publication of this article was funded through a Transformative Agreement with Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

Published online: 10 February 2026
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jpcl.26003.kra
Abstract
This article examines naming practices in creole languages and in scholarly discourse, addressing names in and for creole languages. It asks what constitutes a ‘creole name’, how the input languages affect and shape creole onomastics, and when creole serves as a glossonym and when as a class noun for a group of languages. Drawing on examples from diverse creoles, the overview shows that while many names originate from superstrate sources, they often undergo phonological and semantic changes. The discussion of glossonyms highlights how language names operate beyond identification, serving as instruments for categorization and identity construction reflecting both sociohistorical and present conditions. Naming emerges as a constitutive act that shapes linguistic conceptualization. Recognizing this performative dimension is essential for understanding processes of language making and for interrogating assumptions embedded in creole studies.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Onomastics and creole languages
    • 2.1Toponyms
    • 2.2Person names, commercial names, and group names
    • 2.3Creole onomastics and substrate languages
    • 2.4From toponyms and person names to linguistic entities
  • 3.Naming as language making
    • 3.1Construction of categories, groups and social meanings
    • 3.2Naming as an ideological tool
    • 3.3Names in the lexicon and theoretical bias
  • 4.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
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