Linguistic practices in the formation of drag names in Spain

This study aims to fill a gap in the field of onomastics, specifically in the Spanish language: the research into the formation of drag names. It describes the onomastic practices among Spanish drag queens, analyzing the patterns and linguistic strategies used in the creation of their stage names. B...

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Bibliographic Details
Author: Portilla Ramos, Carolina
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2025
Country:Brasil
Institution:Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná (UNIOESTE)
Repository:Onomástica desde América Latina
Language:Spanish
OAI Identifier:oai:ojs.e-revista.unioeste.br:article/33321
Online Access:https://e-revista.unioeste.br/index.php/onomastica/article/view/33321
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:antroponimia
socionomástica
drag queens
investigación onomástica
anthroponymy
onomastic research
socionomastics
Description
Summary:This study aims to fill a gap in the field of onomastics, specifically in the Spanish language: the research into the formation of drag names. It describes the onomastic practices among Spanish drag queens, analyzing the patterns and linguistic strategies used in the creation of their stage names. Based on a custom corpus of 127 Spanish drag names (drawn from TV programs and series dedicated to drag culture, show booking websites, and verified social media profiles of Spanish drag queens), the study examines morphosyntactic characteristics, grammatical categories, and other stylistic resources such as connotative groups, puns, humorous elements, and orthographic changes, using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. The results reveal a preference for binomial structures, like conventional anthroponyms, and a predominance of feminine grammatical gender, along with cultural references, humorous resources, and changes in spelling, which seem to facilitate the remembrance of the stage name and connection with the audience. Thus, the conclusions contribute to a broader understanding of how identities are constructed and negotiated in contemporary society through language and preserve an important part of the cultural and linguistic heritage related to drag art in the Spanish-speaking world.