There are well over 800 species whose names recognise those involved in, linked to or honoured by their discovery. These have been thrown into the spotlight following this year's Black Lives Matter protests which, among other things, have led to the long-overdue questioning of the way in which some historical figures are celebrated and commemorated.īaird's Sandpiper (above) and Baird's Sparrow, named for 19th-century American naturalist and Smithsonian Institution curator Spencer Fullerton Baird, are among more than 800 bird species with honorific or eponymous common names – some commemorating less-deserving figures than others (Dominic Mitchell).įor those who think this has nothing to do with bird names, think again. At its core were guiding principles which mixed common sense with rules on punctuation and standardisation, and such has been its success that the work lives on as the continually updated IOC World Bird List ( Yet there is one significant issue which the IOC and other compilers of world checklists have never addressed: eponymous and honorific common names. Subtitled Recommended English Names, it was the culmination of 15 years of debate and compilation, resulting in a list of unique English names for the world's birds, agreed by a consensus of leading ornithologists. The pivotal moment in that process, instigated by the International Ornithological Congress (IOC), was the publication of Frank Gill and Minturn Wright's Birds of the World in 2006. "I hope to use what I have learned from Special Name so that I can add value to other businesses," said Jessup.Bird names have long generated debate and controversy, and it's only in recent years that an international standard has started to prevail. Meanwhile, she plans to use the experience for future business endeavors. ![]() "I still update the database each month, but the business is fully automated, allowing me to focus full-time on my studies," said Jessup, who is studying social anthropology at the London School of Economics.īeau said she is currently in negotiations with a company who "shares my vision for Special Name" and wishes to purchase the business. Jessup noted in an interview with that those earnings have gone toward paying her university fees, investing in property and, of course, paying back her father's loan - with interest.Īs for the website, it is largely self-sufficient, requiring just a small team in China to manage its technical operations. By CNBC Make It's estimations, that amounts to revenues of £309,557.40 (around $407,443). But after naming 162,000 babies, she introduced a fee of 60 pence (79 cents).Īt the time of writing, the site has named 677,929 babies. Initially, Jessup provided the service for free. "I provide three appropriate names for the parent to choose from and I encourage them to involve their friends and family in this decision," said Jessup. "I thought it might be profitable to help," said Jessup. By 2016, the country's birthrate rose 7.9 percent to 17.86 million, according to China's National Health and Family Planning Commission. Wang needed this service, then maybe other parents would as well," said Jessup.Ģ015 marked the end of China's decades-long "one-child policy," which limited many families to just one child. But, due to language barriers and internet censorship in China, the ability to research them can be limited, often resulting in unfortunate and sometimes comical selections, Jessup noted, highlighting examples like "Rolex Wang" and "Gandalf Wu" in a 2017 Ted Talk. Traditionally, those names would be self-assigned or given by teachers. ![]() However, many Chinese people find it easier to interact with native English-speakers if they also have a Western name. In China, all babies are given a Chinese name consisting of two to three characters with a carefully constructed meaning. ![]() Wang was "delighted," said Jessup, and went on to explain the significance for Chinese people of having an English name.
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