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For example, *scratch*, *Messages*.

Is this some kind of convention?
If so, what does it mean?

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It’s just a convention. The purpose of this convention is to make it easy to distinguish buffers which content was created or generated by eLisp from buffers representing content of files.

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    Or buffers that are not associated with files such as *scratch*. There are also buffer names that start with space. Those are normally not shown in buffer lists.
    – Tobias
    Commented May 10, 2023 at 5:49
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    It would be better if you could provide the corresponding references to the manual.
    – shynur
    Commented May 10, 2023 at 5:52
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    They are not necessarily generated from buffers that are visiting files (e.g. *scratch* and *Messages* are not). They are "special" buffers of any kind: session buffers for inferior command processors are commonly named like this, log buffers and command output buffers are too, help and Info buffers, package listings, buffer listings, tramp work buffers etc, etc. Basically, any time that some package needs a buffer for a scratch pad/logging/comand output, it is likely to use this convention.
    – NickD
    Commented May 10, 2023 at 16:41
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    EmacsWiki also states "By convention, buffers whose names start with an asterisk (*) are not associated with files. ", but I couldn't find official blessing for that statement in the manuals / mailing lists.
    – Y. E.
    Commented May 11, 2023 at 12:25
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    @NickD, I think you might have misparsed my statement :)
    – db48x
    Commented May 12, 2023 at 2:09

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