{"id":"linked-art/api/shared-names","relativePath":"linked-art/api/shared-names.md","title":"Linked Art API: Shared Names","markdown":"# Linked Art API: Shared Names\n\n**Last refreshed:** 2026-07-06\n\nSource: [Names shared structure](https://linked.art/api/1.0/shared/name/), part of Linked Art API 1.0, published under [CC BY 4.0](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is a project summary; the upstream page is authoritative.\n\n## Purpose\n\nNames are linguistic labels assigned to entities. They are used across all Linked Art endpoints through `identified_by` and can carry language, classification, parts, display labels, statements, and assignment evidence.\n\nNames differ from Identifiers: a Name is natural-language text and can have `language`, parts, and display forms; an Identifier is a code and does not have language or translated alternatives.\n\n## Required Shape\n\nA name structure includes:\n\n- `type`: required. Must be `Name`.\n- `content`: required string form of the name.\n- `id`: optional URI identifying the name, not the entity being named.\n- `_complete`: optional completeness signal. If an `id` URI has richer dereferenceable information, `_complete: false` must be present.\n\n## Recommended Fields\n\n- `classified_as`: classifications following the `Type` structure, such as primary name, display title, or subtitle.\n- `language`: languages present in the name content, following the `Language` concept reference pattern.\n\n## Optional Fields\n\n- `_label`: developer-facing label.\n- `part`: component names, such as a subtitle within a larger title.\n- `identified_by`: names for the Name itself, such as a display label.\n- `referred_to_by`: references to textual works about the name, or embedded statements about the name.\n- `assigned_by`: name assignment evidence following the `AttributeAssignment` pattern.\n\n## Common Incoming Relationships\n\n- `identified_by`: used by all endpoint records to provide identifying labels.\n\n## Meta Museum Notes\n\nMeta Museum already preserves `Name` structures across objects, concepts, people, groups, sets, textual works, visual works, and digital records. Existing coverage proves primary/display names, language tags, classified name types, and nested name structures can be retained. The important project rule is to keep Names as structured linguistic labels rather than flattening them into one display string or merging them with Identifier values.\n\n## Test Ideas\n\n- Preserve `Name.content`, `classified_as`, and `language` on endpoint records.\n- Preserve nested `part[]` names such as subtitles.\n- Preserve `identified_by` display labels on Names without replacing the canonical name content.\n- Preserve `referred_to_by` statements attached to names.\n- Preserve `assigned_by` `AttributeAssignment` evidence when supplied.\n- Add a dereferenceable name `id` with richer detail available and verify `_complete: false`.\n","sections":[{"level":2,"heading":"Purpose","anchor":"purpose"},{"level":2,"heading":"Required Shape","anchor":"required-shape"},{"level":2,"heading":"Recommended Fields","anchor":"recommended-fields"},{"level":2,"heading":"Optional Fields","anchor":"optional-fields"},{"level":2,"heading":"Common Incoming Relationships","anchor":"common-incoming-relationships"},{"level":2,"heading":"Meta Museum Notes","anchor":"meta-museum-notes"},{"level":2,"heading":"Test Ideas","anchor":"test-ideas"}],"html":"<h1 id=\"linked-art-api-shared-names\">Linked Art API: Shared Names</h1>\n<p><strong>Last refreshed:</strong> 2026-07-06</p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https://linked.art/api/1.0/shared/name/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"doc-link\">Names shared structure</a>, part of Linked Art API 1.0, published under <a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"doc-link\">CC BY 4.0</a>. This is a project summary; the upstream page is authoritative.</p>\n<h2 id=\"purpose\">Purpose</h2>\n<p>Names are linguistic labels assigned to entities. They are used across all Linked Art endpoints through `identified_by` and can carry language, classification, parts, display labels, statements, and assignment evidence.</p>\n<p>Names differ from Identifiers: a Name is natural-language text and can have `language`, parts, and display forms; an Identifier is a code and does not have language or translated alternatives.</p>\n<h2 id=\"required-shape\">Required Shape</h2>\n<p>A name structure includes:</p>\n<ul><li>`type`: required. Must be `Name`.</li><li>`content`: required string form of the name.</li><li>`id`: optional URI identifying the name, not the entity being named.</li><li>`_complete`: optional completeness signal. If an `id` URI has richer dereferenceable information, `_complete: false` must be present.</li></ul>\n<h2 id=\"recommended-fields\">Recommended Fields</h2>\n<ul><li>`classified_as`: classifications following the `Type` structure, such as primary name, display title, or subtitle.</li><li>`language`: languages present in the name content, following the `Language` concept reference pattern.</li></ul>\n<h2 id=\"optional-fields\">Optional Fields</h2>\n<ul><li>`_label`: developer-facing label.</li><li>`part`: component names, such as a subtitle within a larger title.</li><li>`identified_by`: names for the Name itself, such as a display label.</li><li>`referred_to_by`: references to textual works about the name, or embedded statements about the name.</li><li>`assigned_by`: name assignment evidence following the `AttributeAssignment` pattern.</li></ul>\n<h2 id=\"common-incoming-relationships\">Common Incoming Relationships</h2>\n<ul><li>`identified_by`: used by all endpoint records to provide identifying labels.</li></ul>\n<h2 id=\"meta-museum-notes\">Meta Museum Notes</h2>\n<p>Meta Museum already preserves `Name` structures across objects, concepts, people, groups, sets, textual works, visual works, and digital records. Existing coverage proves primary/display names, language tags, classified name types, and nested name structures can be retained. The important project rule is to keep Names as structured linguistic labels rather than flattening them into one display string or merging them with Identifier values.</p>\n<h2 id=\"test-ideas\">Test Ideas</h2>\n<ul><li>Preserve `Name.content`, `classified_as`, and `language` on endpoint records.</li><li>Preserve nested `part[]` names such as subtitles.</li><li>Preserve `identified_by` display labels on Names without replacing the canonical name content.</li><li>Preserve `referred_to_by` statements attached to names.</li><li>Preserve `assigned_by` `AttributeAssignment` evidence when supplied.</li><li>Add a dereferenceable name `id` with richer detail available and verify `_complete: false`.</li></ul>","updatedAt":"2026-07-06T00:00:00.000Z","checksum":"3da4d8a4c849072f34117c19ee7d7c3c573321963c20de599ffc356844289658","checksumPrefix":"3da4d8a4c849","anchorCount":7,"lineCount":51,"rawUrl":"/api/docs/content?path=linked-art%2Fapi%2Fshared-names.md","htmlUrl":"/docs?doc=linked-art%2Fapi%2Fshared-names.md","apiUrl":"/api/docs/content?path=linked-art%2Fapi%2Fshared-names.md"}