 | This is an explanatory essay about the Wikipedia:Article titles page. This page provides additional information about concepts in the page(s) it supplements. This page is not one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. |
 | This page in a nutshell: While common names are generally preferred over official names as article titles, there are some valid exceptions. These are documented in the specific-topic naming conventions. |
People often assume that, where an official name exists for the subject of a Wikipedia article, that name is ipso facto the correct title for the article, and that if the article is under another title, then it should be moved. In many cases, this is contrary to Wikipedia practice and policy.
It's a very easy mistake to make, and a very common one. There are several places in which editors are urged to read the article title policy before proposing or supporting name changes, but for one reason or another, proposals based entirely on official or legal names just keep coming.
Wikipedia:Article titles is the relevant policy and reads in part:
Article titles should be recognizable to readers, unambiguous, and consistent with usage in reliable English-language sources. In many cases, the official name will be the best choice to fit these criteria. However, in many other cases, it will not be.
One section of the article title policy says Wikipedia does not necessarily use the subject's "official" name as an article title (emphasis added).