A naming convention is a convention (generally agreed scheme) for naming things. Conventions differ in their intents, which may include to:
Allow useful information to be deduced from the names based on regularities. For instance, in Manhattan, streets are consecutively numbered; with East-West streets called "Streets" and North-South streets called "Avenues".
Show relationships, and in most personal naming conventions
Ensure that each name is unique for same scope
Well-chosen naming conventions aid the casual user in navigating and searching larger structures. Several areas where naming conventions are commonly used include:
In astronomy, planetary nomenclature
In classics, Roman naming conventions
In computer programming, identifier naming conventions
In computer networking, naming scheme
In humans, naming offspring
In industry, product naming conventions
In the sciences, systematic names for a variety of things
A naming convention may be followed when:
Children's names may be alphabetical by birth order. In some Asian cultures, siblings commonly share a middle name. In many cultures the son is usually named after the father or grandfather. In other cultures, the name may include the place of residence. Roman naming convention denotes social rank.
Database schema, Terminology and ontology creators apply a common set of labeling conventions for naming representational entities in their representational artefacts, i.e. conventions outlined or endorsed by a terminology regulatory bodies or policy providers such as ISO or the OBO Foundry.
Large corporate, university, or government campuses may name rooms within the buildings to help orient tenants and visitors.
Products. Automobiles typically have a binomial name, a "make" (manufacturer) and a "model", in addition to a model year. Computers, and computer programs, often have increasing numbers in their names to signify the successive generations.
School courses: an abbreviation for the subject area and then a number ordered by increasing level of difficulty.
Shipping lines often use a distinct naming convention to make their ships more recognisable and their names easier to remember.
Virtually all organizations that assign names or numbers follow some convention in generating these identifiers (e.g. phone numbers, bank accounts, government IDs, credit cards, etc.).
