Monopnames

Monopnames is a neologism that appears in some contemporary discussions about naming practices. It does not have a single, widely accepted definition, and its meaning can vary by context.

In onomastics and linguistics, a monopname is sometimes described as a personal name that consists of a single lexical unit, i.e., a mononym. In this sense, monopname aligns with the familiar term mononym but is used to emphasize the “one-name” property in analyses of naming styles, stage names, or cultural practice.

In information science or knowledge organization, some propose monopname as a label designed to uniquely identify a concept across languages and datasets, functioning as a stable identifier that requires no translation or combination of terms.

In literary or branding discussions, the term may refer to a one-word entity used as a brand name or character name.

Because the term is not standardized, it can cause confusion if used without definition. When writing about monopnames, authors typically specify the intended sense: one-name personal identities (mononyms), a cross-languaging label in databases, or a branding one-word name.

See also: mononym, onym, name, toponym.