Rennompia

Rennompia is a neologism used in onomastics and speculative discourse to describe the deliberate renaming of places, institutions, brands, or cultural artifacts as a response to political, social, or technological change. The concept emphasizes governance, legitimacy, and memory as drivers of renaming, rather than purely linguistic convenience.

The term combines ren- from rename, nomen from Latin "nomen" meaning name, and -pia as a suffix indicating a field of study or practice. The earliest attested uses appear in late 20th-century discussions of post-socialist branding and in speculative fiction analyses. It remains a fringe term not widely adopted in mainstream onomastics.

Rennompia encompasses formal government decrees that alter place names, rebranding campaigns by corporations, and grassroots movements that challenge or authorize renaming. It includes processes such as retroactive toponymy, as well as the cataloging of disputes, archives, and maps showing former and current names. The practice raises questions about authority, cultural memory, and linguistic identity.

In fiction, rennompia often accompanies regime change, decolonization, or technological epoch-making, with characters debating which names should endure and which should disappear. In real-world discussions, proponents argue that renaming can reclaim marginal histories; critics warn of eroding continuity, historical erasure, or the politicization of language.

See also: toponymy, onomastics, memory politics, branding, renaming policy.