The fund’s official name, or an abbreviation thereof, as stated in the fund’s prospectus Morningstar attempts to limit the extent to which fund name abbreviation is made by keeping the family name or first word intact whenever possible. As a general rule, the words Fund, Shares, Class, Series, Trust (not including class designation), and articles at the beginning of a fund’s name are omitted. They appear, however, in cases where their omission could confuse two funds or groups.
Origin
The fund name is taken directly from the prospectus. The names normally do not change, unless the fund itself changes its name.
For the Pros
What’s in a Name?
Sometimes a fund name can be misleading. A fund may use the words "aggressive growth" in its title, yet not act in a way typical of Aggressive Growth funds. This phenomenon can arise when different portfolio managers fulfill investment charters in different ways (perhaps stretching the limitations of the charter). Most often, however, a fund's name is a reasonable reflection of the fund's actual investment activities. One helpful way of gauging a fund's investment style is to use the Morningstar Style Box.