FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A: No! We work with scientists, and follow the established process in the scientific community for naming species, unlike star registries. The International Astronomical Union has called star registries a “deplorable commercial trick” for simply recording “your” star’s name in the company’s own book, “recorded in the U.S. Copyright Office” – just like every other book published in the country! Don’t be fooled, the names in star registries are neither recognized by the scientific community nor used by them. The names given for species described by researchers supported by nameaspecies.com will become the accepted scientific names, used by the scientific community.
Q: Is this legal?
A: Absolutely. In fact, the name of a newly described monkey species sold for $650,000 at auction and a sale of fish species names raised $2 million. But at nameaspecies.com, we believe that not only the rich and famous should be able to have a species named after themselves – and so we aim to place that within anyone’s reach!
Q: Does this actually do any good for science?
A: Yes, and not just for science! First, the naming scientist will receive half of the proceeds of every sale. Secondly, another portion of each sale will be donated to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), in order to protect species like yours from extinction. Finally, we are planning to offer organizations like Make-a-Wish and Veterans of Foreign Wars free or reduced-cost naming of species.
Q: How are species named?
A: The formal system for naming species in biology is called “binomial nomenclature,” “binary nomenclature,” or “binomial classification system.” The name given for a species according to this system is more popularly called its “scientific name” or its “Latin name.” The first word of a scientific name is the genus, usually capitalized (ie Homo in Homo sapiens), which is a more general description. The second word is called the “specific name,” and is always in lower case. This word is usually Latin or a latinized name of a specific person or place – for this reason, we will need to confirm the latinized version of your species’ name in order to ensure your satisfaction.
Q: Can I name a species after someone else, instead of myself?
A: Yes, but we reserve the right to refuse any inappropriate name suggestions (Seymour Butts, etc).
Q: What happens after I place my order?
A: During the order process, you will provide the name of the person you wish to name a species after. We will contact you to confirm the “latinized” version of the name, and will send you a certificate, a letter from the scientist naming your species, and (upon publication) a copy of the journal article in which your species was described.
Q: What kind of species can I name?
A: This depends on which scientists we currently have working relationships with and their current lines of research. If you know someone in a relevant field, please suggest they contact us so we can offer more kinds of species. It should be noted that it will cost more to name some species than others – an ornithologist may go an entire career without describing a single new species, while a Cambrian paleobiologist may discover dozens in a single sample. We attempt to adequately compensate scientists for the effort that went into their work, while balancing supply and demand.
Q: Why is my order taking so long?
A: In order for a species to be named, a description of the species must be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. This process takes time, sometimes months. We will supply your certificate immediately, but it may take time for the paper to be published, and only then can we provide you with a copy. Please keep this in mind when ordering for birthdays, holidays and special dates. If the paper is for any reason denied publication, we will issue a full refund.
Q: Why am I being redirected for payment?
A: Again, while we get things up and running, redirection to PayPal is a temporary solution. Soon we will be handling payment on-site as well. Rest assured that your transaction is entirely safe, secure, and confidential.