Talk:Artemus Ward

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: moved. Arbitrarily0 ^(talk) 02:23, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

Charles Farrar Browne → Artemus Ward – This entry's lead sentence states, "Charles Farrar Browne (April 26, 1834 – March 6, 1867) was an American humor writer, better known under his nom de plume, Artemus Ward." To use an obvious "better known" example, the entry for Browne's friend Samuel Langhorne Clemens bears the main title header "Mark Twain". References, such as Encyclopedia Britannica, use the header "Artemus Ward". — Roman Spinner (talk • contribs) 21:49, 16 July 2026 (UTC) — Relisting. Station1 (talk) 05:43, 30 July 2026 (UTC) — Relisting. –Maltazarian ^{ᚾparley${\displaystyle \lor }$investigateᛅ} 09:30, 6 August 2026 (UTC) — Relisting. TarnishedPath^talk 04:42, 17 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support per COMMONNAME.--Ortizesp (talk) 13:02, 17 July 2026 (UTC)
• Oppose, with the caveat that these references would probably be just about as useful as the Clemens/Twain argument.
  • https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/207/analyzing-maine-humor-is-a-tricky-businessbut-well-do-it-anyway/97-42e4ae64-3a8a-4b1e-b9b8-e0f9cc4a37e0
  • https://www.biography.com/authors-writers/a43468479/artemus-ward-charles-farrar-browne
  • https://www.jstor.org/stable/27747812

  SarekOfVulcan (talk) 19:51, 23 July 2026 (UTC)

  Struck my oppose, because much as I believe this is the correct title, there clearly isn't consensus for it. --SarekOfVulcan (talk) 13:30, 17 August 2026 (UTC)

• Comment. It may be also noted that, in the same manner as the main title header for Samuel Langhorne Clemens' entry in all encyclopedias is Mark Twain, the header for Charles Farrar Browne's encyclopedic entries is Artemus Ward. In addition to the above Britannica link, here are ten others: Encyclopedia Americana, Cambridge Encyclopedia, Chambers's Encyclopaedia, The Children's Encyclopedia, Collier's Encyclopedia, Compton's Encyclopedia, Encarta, Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, The Random House Encyclopedia and World Book Encyclopedia. —Roman Spinner (talk • contribs) 15:13, 24 July 2026 (UTC)

  Those Google search links are not useful. How about links to the actual articles in question in those 10 others? SarekOfVulcan (talk) 17:43, 24 July 2026 (UTC)

  Those aren't even Google searches. They are Google AI conjectures. Some are likely incorrect hallucinations spreading misinformation. Look at wikisource:Author:Charles Farrar Browne for actual sources. – wbm1058 (talk) 13:07, 20 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support per WP:COMMONNAME. Artemus seems to be widely used. Axolitl (talk | contribs) 05:59, 30 July 2026 (UTC)

Note: WikiProject Biography has been notified of this discussion. –Maltazarian ^{ᚾparley${\displaystyle \lor }$investigateᛅ} 09:30, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

Note: WikiProject Biography/Arts and entertainment has been notified of this discussion. TarnishedPath^talk 04:41, 17 August 2026 (UTC)

• Ngram shows that his pen name dominated during the years his works were in print. In this century, the gap has narrowed. Wikipedia generally prefers the name that is most commonly used (as determined by its prevalence in a significant majority of independent, reliable sources. Presumably his own works are not independent. – wbm1058 (talk) 13:33, 20 August 2026 (UTC)