 | This is an essay on WP:Manual of Style, WP:Article titles, and WP:Requested moves. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
 | This page in a nutshell: Wikipedia capitalizes words and phrases if they are treated across independent reliable sources as proper names (or as appropriately associated with or derived from proper names) in accord with findings in modern linguistics. Philosophical treatments of proper names are far less helpful or relevant in editing and discussing changes on Wikipedia. |
Editors sometimes draw on philosophical themes concerning proper names, in writing, editing, and discussing on Wikipedia – with confusing and sometimes strife-inducing results (most often at WP:Requested moves). Such themes are far less relevant for writing and editing the encyclopedia; only the linguistics take on proper names is truly useful and relevant in determining matters of written formal-English orthography, especially matters of capitalization. Predominant usage in reputable nonfiction publishers is of paramount importance, as repeatedly made clear in our own Wikipedia:Manual of Style.