Naming the Nameless: A Corpus of Selected Postmortonyms

Digital Annex to the Paper: Golda, Paweł, Agnieszka Jedziniak-Danowska, Marlena Moskal, and Joanna Ryszka (2026). Naming the Nameless: A Preliminary Study of Bynames for the Deceased from an Onomastic Perspective. Linguistica Silesiana, 47. The article analyzes the concept of the postmortonym — a newly proposed term for names assigned to unidentified deceased individuals. Drawing on a semantic onomastic analysis of 220 postmortonyms from multiple cultures, the study explores the motivations, structures, and functions of these bynames, distinct from posthumous names, deadnames, and necronyms. The research demonstrates that postmortonyms often incorporate details such as location or distinguishing features, which serve investigative, communicative, and memorial purposes. The analysis highlights the phenomenon of polyonymy, where temporary names coexist with potential authentic identities, and discusses the broader cultural and legal contexts influencing naming practices for the nameless dead. The research is of a pilot nature, and the findings offer a foundation for further research on the conceptualization of death and naming across cultures. Keywords: onomastics, proper noun, name, onyms, postmortonym, nickname, byname, death