Name

ACD/Name is a chemical nomenclature software tool developed by ACD/Labs that generates systematic chemical names from structures according to IUPAC rules, and converts chemical names back into structures. It is designed for chemists, nomenclature experts, patent attorneys, journal editors, and researchers working across organic, biochemical, inorganic, organometallic, and polymer chemistry.

The software handles a broad range of molecule types and nomenclature challenges, including stereocenters, natural products, carbohydrates, peptides, and branched ring assemblies. It is updated regularly to reflect current IUPAC recommendations, including those introduced in the 2013 IUPAC Blue Book, and supports naming in 22 languages as of version 2025.

Core Capabilities

• Generate accurate systematic names according to IUPAC recommendations with a single button click
• Produce Index names in accordance with CAS nomenclature rules
• Convert systematic, semisystematic, and trivial chemical names to structures
• Automatically identify tautomers and stereocenters
• Dynamically display the nomenclature rules used to derive each name
• Highlight individual structural fragments to view the applicable IUPAC rule
• Assign stereodescriptors including R/S, E/Z, M/P, r/s, seqCis/seqTrans, α/β, and cis/trans
• Assign atom numbering and display a hierarchical graph for each stereocenter

Supported Structure and Name Types

• Organic functional groups including acids, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, ethers, peroxides, and salts
• Mono- and polycyclic systems, including branched ring assemblies
• Homogeneous and heterogeneous chains
• Natural product structures such as steroids, alkaloids, terpenes, and carotenes
• Carbohydrates in Haworth and other representations
• Amino acids, peptides, and derivatives; peptide sequences represented with one- or three-letter amino acid codes
• Radicals and charged structures
• Some polymers
• Inorganic and organometallic structures
• Structures generated from InChI and SMILES notations, CAS Registry and EU numbers, and trade or registered names (INN, USAN, BAN, JAN)
• Ambiguous names produce a warning or generate multiple possible structures for review

Language Support

• Generate systematic names in English, French, and German
• IUPAC naming supported in 19 additional languages: Bulgarian, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovenian, Spanish, and Swedish
• Differences in spelling, grammar, and substituent citation order are accounted for across language variations
• Users can set nomenclature and language preferences

Workflow Steps

1. Draw, copy/paste, or import a molecular structure in supported formats including ChemDraw, MOL files, and SMILES
2. Generate the IUPAC name automatically
3. Examine the generated name and review references to the IUPAC rules from which the name was derived

File Import and Export

• Import multiple structures from SD files and automatically generate their names
• Export structures and names as SD files
• Supports up to 99 structures per SD file import/export in the full Name version
• Handles molecules with up to 1024 non-hydrogen atoms and up to 20 rings per cyclic fragment

What's New in Version 2025

• Japanese language support added, bringing the total to 22 supported languages
• Generate IUPAC names for cyclic peptides with internal amido groups and disulfide bridges
• Improved support for π-complex search in Spectrus DB
• Expansion of ACD/Dictionary to more than 183,000 names

Product Versions Compared

• ACD/Name: Full version supporting IUPAC, CAS, and IUBMB nomenclature systems; English, French, and German plus 19 additional languages; name-to-structure conversion; links to IUPAC rules; unlimited name length; up to 1024 atoms per molecule
• ACD/Name (Chemist Version): Generates IUPAC names from structures and structures from names without advanced functionality, language options beyond English/French/German, or rule derivations; available at $475.00 per year on a subscription basis
• ChemSketch: Included with all versions of Name for structure drawing; supports IUPAC naming in English only, up to 50 atoms including hydrogen, and up to 3 rings per cyclic fragment

Batch Processing and Deployment Options

• ACD/Name Batch and ACD/Name to Structure Batch are available for researchers generating names for compound libraries or processing structures for compound registration
• Generate names for thousands of structures in a single session
• Select between different languages for IUPAC name generation
• Process text files and databases in SD format
• Generate InChI identifiers
• Save generated names to .sdf, .rtf, or .txt files
• Available for Windows and Linux operating systems

ACD/Name runs on Microsoft Windows 8.1 (x64) and Windows 10 (x64), requires a minimum 2-core CPU, 4 GB RAM, and 40 GB disk space. It is available under perpetual software licenses or annual subscription licenses. ChemSketch is included with all versions of Name. ACD/Labs notes that its Index naming algorithms are developed independently, and CAS makes no warranty regarding their accuracy; names intended for regulatory reporting should be manually verified or obtained directly from CAS.