Meanings of minor-planet names: 311001–312000

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Meanings of minor-planet names: 311001–312000

Overview
This page explains the meanings behind the names given to minor planets numbered 311001 through 312000.

Naming process
- After a minor planet’s orbit is confirmed, the Minor Planet Center (MPC) assigns a permanent number.
- The discoverer may submit a name following IAU rules. The official naming citation is approved and published by the IAU’s Working Group for Small Bodies Nomenclature (WGSBN).
- Official citations for new names are published in WGSBN bulletins. Before May 2021, many citations appeared in MPC’s Minor Planet Circulars; newer citations are also available in the JPL Small-Body Database (SBDB).

References and sources
- Lutz D. Schmadel compiled these naming citations into the Dictionary of Minor Planet Names (DMP) until his death in 2016, building on Paul Herget’s The Names of the Minor Planets to trace the origins of many asteroid names, especially those named before World War II. Some text here draws on that public-domain source.
- New namings may be added to this list only after official publication; pre-announcements are not allowed.

Guidelines
- The IAU’s Working Group for Small Bodies Nomenclature publishes the full guidelines for naming non-cometary small Solar System bodies.