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An aptronym, aptonym, or euonym is a
personal name A personal name, or full name, in onomastic terminology also known as prosoponym (from Ancient Greek πρόσωπον / ''prósōpon'' - person, and ὄνομα / ''onoma'' - name), is the set of names by which an individual person is known ...
aptly or peculiarly suited to its owner.


History

The '' Encyclopædia Britannica'' attributes the term to
Franklin P. Adams Franklin Pierce Adams (November 15, 1881 – March 23, 1960) was an American columnist known as Franklin P. Adams and by his initials F.P.A.. Famed for his wit, he is best known for his newspaper column, "The Conning Tower", and his appearances a ...
, a writer who coined it as an anagram of ''patronym'', to emphasize "apt". According to Frank Nuessel, in ''The Study of Names'' (1992), an ''aptonym'' is the term used for "people whose names and occupations or situations (e.g., workplace) have a close correspondence." In the book ''What's in a Name?'' (1996), author
Paul Dickson Paul Dickson may refer to: *Paul Dickson (writer) (born 1939), American writer *Paul Dickson (American football) Paul Serafin Dickson (February 26, 1937 – June 7, 2011) was an American football defensive tackle in the National Football League ...
cites a long list of aptronyms originally compiled by Professor
Lewis P. Lipsitt Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...
, of
Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...
. Psychologist Carl Jung wrote in his book '' Synchronicity'' that there was a "sometimes quite grotesque coincidence between a man's name and his peculiarities".
Nominative determinism Nominative determinism is the hypothesis that people tend to gravitate towards areas of work that fit their names. The term was first used in the magazine ''New Scientist'' in 1994, after the magazine's humorous "Feedback" column noted several ...
is a hypothesis which suggests a causal relationship based on the idea that people tend to be attracted to areas of work that fit their name.


Notable examples

* Jules Angst, German professor of psychiatry, who has published works about anxiety ( angst) * Michael Ball, English footballer * Colin Bass, British
bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a Bass (instrument), bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboar ...
in the rock band
Camel A camel (from: la, camelus and grc-gre, κάμηλος (''kamēlos'') from Hebrew or Phoenician: גָמָל ''gāmāl''.) is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. C ...
* Lance Bass,
bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...
singer for the American pop
boy band A boy band is loosely defined as a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform Love song, love songs marketed towards girls and young ...
NSYNC NSYNC (, ; also stylized as *NSYNC or 'N Sync) was an American boy band formed by Chris Kirkpatrick in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich. Their self-titled debut album was successfully released to European ...
*
Mickey Bass Lee Odiss Bass III (May 2, 1943 – February 3, 2022), better known as Mickey Bass, was an American bassist, composer, arranger, and music educator. He played with Chico Freeman, John Hicks, and Kiane Zawadi. Bass was a Pittsburgh bassist who wo ...
, American
bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a Bass (instrument), bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboar ...
and musician *
Alexander Graham Bell Alexander Graham Bell (, born Alexander Bell; March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born inventor, scientist and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He also co-founded the American Telephone and Te ...
, inventor of the telephone * Bert "Tito" Beveridge, founder of
Tito's Vodka Tito's Handmade Vodka is a vodka brand made by Fifth Generation, founded by Tito Beveridge in 1997 in Austin, Texas – specializing in vodka made from yellow corn, rather than potatoes or wheat. It is distilled 6 times and unaged. Marketing i ...
* Sara Blizzard, meteorologist and television weather presenter for the BBC * John Blow, English pipe organist at Westminster Abbey * Usain Bolt, Jamaican sprinter *
Doug Bowser Doug Spencer Bowser is an American businessman, currently serving as the president of Nintendo of America. He succeeded Reggie Fils-Aimé as president in 2019, having previously worked for Procter & Gamble and Electronic Arts. Early career B ...
, president of Nintendo of America ( Bowser is a Nintendo character) *
Russell Brain, 1st Baron Brain Walter Russell Brain, 1st Baron Brain (23 October 1895 – 29 December 1966) was a British neurologist. He was principal author of the standard work of neurology, ''Brain's Diseases of the Nervous System'', and longtime editor of the homonymo ...
, neurologist *
Rosalind Brewer Rosalind G. Brewer, also known as "Roz", is an American businesswoman serving as the CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance. With her appointment at Walgreens in March 2021, she is one of only two Black women CEOs of Fortune 500 companies (along with T ...
, executive at
Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's largest coffeehouse chain. As of November 2021, the company had 33,833 stores in 80 c ...
and a former director at Molson Coors Brewing Company *
Christopher Coke Christopher Michael Coke, also known as Dudus (born 13 March 1969), is a convicted Jamaican drug lord and the leader of the Shower Posse, a violent drug gang started by his father Lester Coke in Jamaica, which exported "large quantities" of mar ...
, drug lord and cocaine trafficker * Margaret Court, Australian tennis player * Thomas Crapper, sanitary engineer *
Kutter Crawford Kutter Martin Crawford (born April 1, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2021. Listed at and , he throws and bats right-handed. Career Crawford atten ...
, baseball pitcher (
cutter Cutter may refer to: Tools * Bolt cutter * Box cutter, aka Stanley knife, a form of utility knife * Cigar cutter * Cookie cutter * Glass cutter * Meat cutter * Milling cutter * Paper cutter * Side cutter * Cutter, a type of hydraulic rescue to ...
) * Mark De Man, Belgian football defender * Josh Earnest, the third press secretary for the
Obama administration Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. A Democrat from Illinois, Obama took office following a decisive victory over Republican ...
* Rich Fairbank, billionaire and CEO of the Capital One bank, which holds the Fairbanking Mark for offering fair banking products *
Cecil Fielder Cecil Grant Fielder (; born September 21, 1963) is an American former professional baseball player in Major League Baseball (MLB). Fielder was a power hitter in the 1980s and 1990s. He attended college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV ...
and Prince Fielder, baseball players ( fielder) * Bob Flowerdew, gardener and TV/radio presenter *
Amy Freeze Amy Elizabeth Freeze (born June 19, 1974) is an American television meteorologist. She is currently the anchor and meteorologist for Fox Weather. She was the weekend meteorologist at WABC-TV in New York City, New York. She has filled in on AB ...
, American meteorologist *
William Headline William Headline (December 24, 1931 – October 20, 2008) served as Washington bureau chief for 12 years during the formative years of CNN and headed the Voter News Service during the United States 2000 presidential election. Given his name an ...
, Washington Bureau Chief for CNN *
Fielder Jones Fielder Allison Jones (August 13, 1871 – March 13, 1934) was an American center fielder and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was best known as the player-manager of the World Series champion 1906 Chicago White Sox, a team who succeede ...
, baseball player * Igor Judge, English judge and Lord Chief Justice * John Laws, English judge and
Lord Justice of Appeal A Lord Justice of Appeal or Lady Justice of Appeal is a judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, the court that hears appeals from the High Court of Justice, the Crown Court and other courts and tribunals. A Lord (or Lady) Justice ...
*
Richard and Mildred Loving Mildred Delores Loving (née Jeter; July 22, 1939 – May 2, 2008) and her husband Richard Perry Loving (October 29, 1933 – June 29, 1975) were an American married couple who were the plaintiffs in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case ''Lovin ...
, plaintiffs in ''
Loving v. Virginia ''Loving v. Virginia'', 388 U.S. 1 (1967), was a List of landmark court decisions in the United States, landmark civil rights decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that Anti-miscegenation laws in the United States, laws ban ...
'', which legalized interracial marriage throughout the United States * Auguste and Louis Lumière, pioneering 19th century filmmakers (''lumière'' means "light" in French) * Chris Moneymaker, American poker player and
2003 World Series of Poker The 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP) was held at Binion's Horseshoe. Preliminary events Main Event There were 839 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter what was the largest poker tournament ever played in a brick and mortar ca ...
champion *
Eugenius Outerbridge Eugenius Harvey Outerbridge (March 8, 1860 – November 10, 1932) was a businessman and promoter of patent fiberboard, and the first chairman of the interstate agency known then as the Port of New York Authority. The Outerbridge Crossing, a Port ...
, inaugural chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; namesake of the Outerbridge Crossing, the outermost bridge between New York and New Jersey. *
Josh Outman Joshua Stephen Outman (born September 14, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics (2008-2009, 2011), Colorado Rockies (2012-2013), Cleveland Indians (2014), ...
, baseball pitcher *
Eugene Profit Eugene A. Profit is an American investor, entrepreneur, philanthropist and former American football cornerback for the New England Patriots and Washington Redskins. He is the founder, president, CEO, and portfolio manager of Profit Investment M ...
, former American football player and current CEO of
Profit Investment Management Profit Investment Management, LLC is a SEC registered investment advisory firm based in Bethesda, MD. The Firm was founded in 1996 by Eugene Profit, the current president (corporate title), president, CEO, and portfolio manager of the firm. Prof ...
. *
Francine Prose Francine Prose (born April 1, 1947) is an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and critic. She is a visiting professor of literature at Bard College, and was formerly president of PEN American Center. Life and career Born in Brookl ...
, American novelist * Jonathan Quick, American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League *
Corona Rintawan Corona Rintawan (born 1 January 1975) is an Indonesian physician specializing in emergency medicine. Active in the field since 2003, he has led the NGO Muhammadiyah's medical response team in multiple disasters, most recently the COVID-19 pandem ...
, Indonesian physician who leads
Muhammadiyah Muhammadiyah ( ar, محمدية; 'followers of Muhammad'); also known as the Muhammadiyah Society ( id, Persyarikatan Muhammadiyah) is a major Islamic non-governmental organization in Indonesia.A. Jalil HamidTackle the rising cost of living longer ...
's command center for the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic * Bob Rock, Canadian music producer best known for his works with rock acts such as
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
and
Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whi ...
* Philander Rodman, father of Dennis Rodman, who fathered 26 children by 16 mothers * Tennys Sandgren, American tennis player * Marilyn vos Savant, American columnist who has been cited for having the world's highest-recorded IQ ( savant) *
Larry Speakes Larry Melvin Speakes (September 13, 1939 – January 10, 2014) was an American journalist and spokesperson who acted as White House Press Secretary under President Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1987. He assumed the role after Press Secretary James ...
, acting White House Press Secretary for the White House under President
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
*
Scott Speed Scott Andrew Speed (born January 24, 1983) is an American race car driver who has competed in numerous disciplines, including open-wheel, stock car, and rallycross racing. In , Speed became the first American driver to race in Formula One since ...
, an American racecar driver who has raced in a variety of motorsport, including Formula One and
Formula E Formula E, officially the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, is a single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars. The series was conceived in 2011 in Paris by FIA president Jean Todt and Spanish businessman Alejandro Agag, who is ...
*Bernard Herbert Suits, scholar and authority in the field of games and gaming *
George Francis Train George Francis Train (March 24, 1829 – January 18, 1904) was an American entrepreneur who organized the clipper ship line that sailed around Cape Horn to San Francisco; he also organized the Union Pacific Railroad and the Credit Mobilier in th ...
, entrepreneur who was heavily involved in the construction of the eastern portion of the transcontinental railroad across the United States *
Marijuana Pepsi Vandyck use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , body_discovered = , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinates ...
, American education professional with a dissertation on uncommon African-American names in the classroom * Walter Washington, first African American mayor of Washington, D.C. *
Anthony Weiner Anthony David Weiner (; born September 4, 1964) is an American former politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1999 until his resignation in 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he consistently carried the district with at l ...
, American politician involved in sexting scandals * John Minor Wisdom, American judge * William Wordsworth, English poet and advocate for the extension of
British copyright law Under the law of United Kingdom, a copyright is an intangible property right subsisting in certain qualifying subject-matter. Copyright law is governed by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (the 1988 Act), as amended from time to time. A ...
* Early Wynn, baseball pitcher, member of the
300 win club In Major League Baseball, the 300-win club is the group of pitchers who have won 300 or more games. Twenty-four pitchers have reached this milestone. This list does not include Bobby Mathews who won 297 in the major leagues plus several more in 1 ...
* Tiger Woods, American professional golfer; a wood is a type of golf club * Sue Yoo, attorney


Inaptronyms

Some aptronyms are ironic rather than descriptive, being called inaptronyms by
Gene Weingarten Gene Norman Weingarten (born October 2, 1951) is an American journalist, and former syndicated humor columnist for ''The Washington Post.'' He is the only two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing. Weingarten is known for both ...
of '' The Washington Post''. * Rob Banks, a British police officer *
Grant Balfour Grant Robert Balfour (born 30 December 1977) is an Australian former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Devil Rays / Rays, and Oakland Athletics. ...
, baseball pitcher ("ball four") * Frank Beard, an American musician who, until , was the only member of rock band ZZ Top without a beard * Don Black, white supremacist * Peter Bowler,
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
er (in fact, primarily a batsman) *
Samuel Foote Samuel Foote (January 1720 – 21 October 1777) was a British dramatist, actor and theatre manager. He was known for his comedic acting and writing, and for turning the loss of a leg in a riding accident in 1766 to comedic opportunity. Early l ...
, a comic actor who lost a leg in a horseriding accident in 1766, and made jokes on stage about "Foote and leg, and leg and foot" * Robin Mahfood, president and CEO of
Food for the Poor Food For The Poor, Inc. (FFP) is an ecumenical Christian nonprofit organization based in Coconut Creek, Florida, United States that provides food, medicine, and shelter, among other services, to the poor in Latin America and the Caribbean. Fo ...
* I.C. Notting, ophthalmologist, Leiden University *
Danielle Outlaw Danielle Outlaw (born September 1976) is an American law enforcement officer. She became Commissioner for the Philadelphia Police Department on February 10, 2020. She previously served as chief of police for the Portland Police Bureau, in Oregon. ...
, Philadelphia Police Commissioner * Larry Playfair,
NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
defenseman known for his
fighting Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...
*
Jaime Sin Jaime Lachica Sin ( zh, t=辛海梅, 辛海棉, poj=Sin Hái-mûi, Sin Hái-mî; August 31, 1928 – June 21, 2005), commonly and formally known as Jaime Cardinal Sin, was the 30th Roman Catholic Archbishop of Manila and the third cardinal from ...
, Catholic prelate. Upon being made a
cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
in 1976, he gained the further inaptronymic title of " Cardinal Sin" * Bob Walk, baseball pitcherWhen the Stats Match the Name
Brian Grosnick


See also

*
-onym The suffix ''-onym'' (from grc, ὄνυμα / name) is a bound morpheme, that is attached to the end of a root word, thus forming a new compound word that designates a particular ''class'' of names. In linguistic terminology, compound words ...
*
Nominative determinism Nominative determinism is the hypothesis that people tend to gravitate towards areas of work that fit their names. The term was first used in the magazine ''New Scientist'' in 1994, after the magazine's humorous "Feedback" column noted several ...
, the hypothesis that a person's name can have a significant role in determining key aspects of their job, profession or even character


References


External links


Aptonyms-wiki
(based on the extinct
Canadian Aptonym Centre
') * {{Personal names Names Semantics Types of words Word play