The word "euonym" (
wikt:eu- +
wikt:-onym), dated to late 1800, is defined as "a name well suited to the person, place, or thing named".[3]
History
The Encyclopædia Britannica says that the term was allegedly invented by a columnist
Franklin P. Adams, who coined the word "aptronym" as an
anagram of patronym, to emphasize "apt".[4] The Oxford English Dictionary reported that the word appeared in a
Funk & Wagnall’s dictionary in 1921, defined as "a surname indicative of an occupation: as, Glass, the glazier".[3][5] Psychologist
Carl Jung wrote in his 1960 book Synchronicity that there was a "sometimes quite grotesque coincidence between a man's name and his peculiarities".[6][7]
In the 1966 book What's in a Name?,
Paul Dickson, among other peculiar types of surnames, has a section on aptronyms which includes a list of aptronyms selected from his large collection. The latter originated from the one received from professor Lewis P. Lipsitt of
Brown University and further expanded with the help of Dickinson's friends, mostly form newspapers and phone books. Some newspaper columnists collect aptronyms as well.[6]
Nominative determinism, the hypothesis that a person's name can have a significant role in determining key aspects of their job, profession or even character
^"aptronym". Encyclopædia Britannica (Encyclopædia Britannica Online ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2008.
Archived from the original on 11 May 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
^The Desk Standard Dictionary of the English Language, Funk & Wagnalls, 1921,
p. 21
^
abcdeMaxwell, Kerry (4 March 2008).
"BuzzWord: Aptronym". MacMillan Dictionary.
Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
^Lyn Pesce, Nicole (22 February 2019).
"Doug Bowser & Other People Whose Names Perfectly Fit Their Jobs". MarketWatch.
Archived from the original on 22 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019. Some people seem born into their professions. Take Doug Bowser, the incoming president of Nintendo of America, whose surname is the same as one of the videogame company's most recognizable villains. Bowser, after all, is the evil turtle-dragon hybrid that plucky plumbers Mario and Luigi have to keep rescuing the princess from.
^Faeth, Stan (29 July 2013).
"What's in a name? Maybe a career". Greensboro News & Record.
Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2023. Although it was a fascinating story in itself, I was more captivated by the ornithologist's name, which is aptly Carla Dove.
^Topaz, Jonathan (24 June 2014).
"Stephen Colbert to 'quitter' Jay Carney: Man up!". Politico.
Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2015. What a name for a press secretary. Josh Earnest. His name literally means, 'Just kidding, but seriously.'
^Wiseman, Lauren (23 October 2008).
"WILLIAM HEADLINE: 1931 - 2008". Chicago Tribune.
Archived from the original on 2 September 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2019. CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer said Mr. Headline was 'a decent person who understood the problems that journalists have and dealt with them in a compassionate way. As we used to say it, the best name in news.'... ...Mr. Headline, whose fitting name was Americanized by a Swedish ancestor, was born in Cleveland and raised in East Aurora, N.Y.
^Furness, Hannah (3 July 2012).
"Barclays scandal: a case of nominative determinism?". The Telegraph.
Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020. Likewise, Igor Judge, the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, and John Laws, the Lord Justice of Appeal, may have felt a calling.
^Swaragita, Gisela (11 March 2020).
"Dr. Corona vs. coronavirus: Muhammadiyah special center fighting COVID-19 in Indonesia". The Jakarta Post.
Archived from the original on 20 March 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2020. Indonesia's second-largest Islamic organization has officially entered the national battle against the coronavirus by establishing the Muhammadiyah COVID-19 Command Center (MCCC) and putting an aptly named physician, Corona Rintawan, in charge.
^Sawyer, Robert J. (2012). Triggers. New York: Ace Books. p. 186.
ISBN978-1-937007-16-4. Or Larry Speakes," said Eric... "He was the White House spokesman for Ronald Reagan." She smiled. "Exactly. There's a name for that. It's called ... nominative determinism.
^Jiang, Allan.
"The 10 Most Underrated Soccer Players in History". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 19 September 2023. Claudio Gentile is the archetypal hard man, which was ironic considering his last name translates to gentle.
The word "euonym" (
wikt:eu- +
wikt:-onym), dated to late 1800, is defined as "a name well suited to the person, place, or thing named".[3]
History
The Encyclopædia Britannica says that the term was allegedly invented by a columnist
Franklin P. Adams, who coined the word "aptronym" as an
anagram of patronym, to emphasize "apt".[4] The Oxford English Dictionary reported that the word appeared in a
Funk & Wagnall’s dictionary in 1921, defined as "a surname indicative of an occupation: as, Glass, the glazier".[3][5] Psychologist
Carl Jung wrote in his 1960 book Synchronicity that there was a "sometimes quite grotesque coincidence between a man's name and his peculiarities".[6][7]
In the 1966 book What's in a Name?,
Paul Dickson, among other peculiar types of surnames, has a section on aptronyms which includes a list of aptronyms selected from his large collection. The latter originated from the one received from professor Lewis P. Lipsitt of
Brown University and further expanded with the help of Dickinson's friends, mostly form newspapers and phone books. Some newspaper columnists collect aptronyms as well.[6]
Nominative determinism, the hypothesis that a person's name can have a significant role in determining key aspects of their job, profession or even character
^"aptronym". Encyclopædia Britannica (Encyclopædia Britannica Online ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2008.
Archived from the original on 11 May 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
^The Desk Standard Dictionary of the English Language, Funk & Wagnalls, 1921,
p. 21
^
abcdeMaxwell, Kerry (4 March 2008).
"BuzzWord: Aptronym". MacMillan Dictionary.
Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
^Lyn Pesce, Nicole (22 February 2019).
"Doug Bowser & Other People Whose Names Perfectly Fit Their Jobs". MarketWatch.
Archived from the original on 22 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019. Some people seem born into their professions. Take Doug Bowser, the incoming president of Nintendo of America, whose surname is the same as one of the videogame company's most recognizable villains. Bowser, after all, is the evil turtle-dragon hybrid that plucky plumbers Mario and Luigi have to keep rescuing the princess from.
^Faeth, Stan (29 July 2013).
"What's in a name? Maybe a career". Greensboro News & Record.
Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2023. Although it was a fascinating story in itself, I was more captivated by the ornithologist's name, which is aptly Carla Dove.
^Topaz, Jonathan (24 June 2014).
"Stephen Colbert to 'quitter' Jay Carney: Man up!". Politico.
Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2015. What a name for a press secretary. Josh Earnest. His name literally means, 'Just kidding, but seriously.'
^Wiseman, Lauren (23 October 2008).
"WILLIAM HEADLINE: 1931 - 2008". Chicago Tribune.
Archived from the original on 2 September 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2019. CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer said Mr. Headline was 'a decent person who understood the problems that journalists have and dealt with them in a compassionate way. As we used to say it, the best name in news.'... ...Mr. Headline, whose fitting name was Americanized by a Swedish ancestor, was born in Cleveland and raised in East Aurora, N.Y.
^Furness, Hannah (3 July 2012).
"Barclays scandal: a case of nominative determinism?". The Telegraph.
Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020. Likewise, Igor Judge, the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, and John Laws, the Lord Justice of Appeal, may have felt a calling.
^Swaragita, Gisela (11 March 2020).
"Dr. Corona vs. coronavirus: Muhammadiyah special center fighting COVID-19 in Indonesia". The Jakarta Post.
Archived from the original on 20 March 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2020. Indonesia's second-largest Islamic organization has officially entered the national battle against the coronavirus by establishing the Muhammadiyah COVID-19 Command Center (MCCC) and putting an aptly named physician, Corona Rintawan, in charge.
^Sawyer, Robert J. (2012). Triggers. New York: Ace Books. p. 186.
ISBN978-1-937007-16-4. Or Larry Speakes," said Eric... "He was the White House spokesman for Ronald Reagan." She smiled. "Exactly. There's a name for that. It's called ... nominative determinism.
^Jiang, Allan.
"The 10 Most Underrated Soccer Players in History". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 19 September 2023. Claudio Gentile is the archetypal hard man, which was ironic considering his last name translates to gentle.