Schedule of Approved Names

ratified by the Chase–Via Onomastic Committee (C–VOC)

Welcome to the directory. This index, to be regarded as authoritative, compiles names in the Anglo-American cultural canon for usage in the designation of new children. The committee urges the use of names of all varieties, within the limits of reason and good taste, and urges that the selection of an appropriate name for one’s child be undertaken seriously.

The proscribed forms in the second column are strongly discouraged, as they are, in the committee’s opinion, likely to bring more inconvenience than distinction to a child. Nicknames as names, too, are to be regarded with caution; even common ones, such as “Jon” or “Bill”, do not appear here as names in their own right, and more especially uncommon ones such as “Alec” or “Lenny”.