RESEARCH TRENDS IN ANTHROPONYMY WITHIN LINGUISTIC AND ANTHROPOLINGUISTIC STUDIES : A Systematic Literature Review
Keywords:
anthroponymy, onomastics, linguistic identity, naming systems, sociolinguistics of namingAbstract
The scientific study of personal names anthroponymy has experienced substantial growth over the past two decades, yet its literature remains fragmented and unsystematically mapped. This article presents a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) conducted according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) protocol, analysing 50 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2010 and 2025. The primary objectives are to map global research trends in anthroponymy, identify dominant theories and methodologies, classify thematic clusters, and delineate research gaps requiring scholarly attention. The selection process commenced with 780 records identified across five academic databases Scopus, Web of Science, Dimensions, Google Scholar, and Garuda/SINTA subsequently reduced to 50 articles through rigorous identification, screening, and eligibility assessment. Findings reveal that anthroponymy research is dominated by studies of social identity (28%), names and religion (20%), and gender-based naming (14%). Methodologically, qualitative-ethnographic approaches prevail (56%), with Africa and Asia emerging as the most productive research regions. Bourdieu's identity theory and Alford's anthroponymic framework constitute the most frequently deployed theoretical foundations. This review identifies three primary research gaps: (1) the near-absence of studies on digital naming and cyber-identity; (2) insufficient longitudinal analyses of naming change; and (3) the lack of theoretically indigenous frameworks developed from and for non-Western particularly Indonesian contexts. The contribution of this article lies in providing a comprehensive thematic and theoretical map for researchers in linguistics, anthropolinguistics, and identity studies.
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