aptronym

[prettygoodword]

aptronym (AP-truh-nim) - n., a name that is aptly suited to a person's profession, personality, etc.


Such as the poet William Wordsworth, press secretary Larry Speakes, and chef James Kitchens. There are also inaptronyms, such as Judge Colleen Lawless and Cardinal Jaime Sin. Coined around 1915 by an American journalist in the form aptronymic from apt + (pat)ronymic, first appearing in this form in 1919. Which journalist is unclear -- Franklin P. Adams is sometimes credited but the word(s) cannot be found in his regular columns during that time. Humorist Don Marquis (best known for the Archie and Mehitabel poems) was especially known for running examples of aptronyms in his column, and it's possible he's responsible. A mystery.

---L.

Comments

[full_metal_ox]

There’s also marathon swimmer Diana Nyad (although classical pedants might hold that she’d better qualify as a Nereid, since most of her career has taken place in salt water.)

And sprinter Usain Bolt.

And Tura Satana, who made a career of playing Dark Action Girls (and yes, that was her government name long before she entered show biz; Ms. Satana, neé Yamaguchi, was briefly married to one John Satana—-when they were 13 and 17 respectively; her life story reads like the plot of one of her movies.)

[prettygoodword]

Wikipedia has an extensive list.

[med_cat]

Haha, there's a word for this, who knew?! ;)

There's a dermatologist, Dr. Spott, in our area...and someone told me she knew a married couple, Dr. and Dr. Brain (both neurologists)

:))

[prettygoodword]

There's a word for (almost?) everything. You may not know it, but someone needed one and so came up with something.