Aptronym Definition and Examples in English

An aptronym is a  name that matches the occupation or character of its owner, often in a humorous or ironic way. Also called an aptonym or a  namephreak. A contemporary example of an aptronym is Usain Lightning Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter whos widely regarded as the worlds fastest man. Other examples include poet William Wordsworth, undertaker Robert Coffin, and astronaut Sally Ride.   The term aptronym  (literally, an apt name) was coined by American newspaper columnist Franklin Pierce Adams, best known by his initials F.P.A. Examples and Observations Charles H. ElsterAn aptronym is an apt name, one that is especially descriptive of or suited to a person: for example, William Wordsworth, the poet; Margaret Court, the tennis player; Gray Davis, the sober, gray-haired former governor of California; and Marilyn vos Savant, the Parade columnist who has the worlds highest recorded IQ. Often the aptronym is humorously unsuitable--like Robert Coffin for an undertaker or Dr. Gas for a gastroenterologist--in which case I would call it a distronym or a jocunym. A euonym is an especially auspicious name, like Jesus, which means savior, or Harry Truman.Chrysti M. SmithAptronyms have a long history in English literature. In the 17th century Christian allegory Pilgrims Progress, author John Bunyan aptronymed two of his characters Mr. Worldly Wiseman and Mr. Talkative. Shakespeares character Hotspur in King Henry IV is quick-tempered and impatient. We can find apt titles in contemporary popular culture as well. Snidely Whiplash is the aptronym o f the black-caped, mustache-twirling nemesis of Dudley Do-Right. Sweet Polly Purebred is a dog who is always rescued from peril by her hero in the 1960s cartoon series Underdog.Dr. Russell Brain and Dr. Henry HeadWhen a name is felt to be especially appropriate to a person, linguists call it an aptronym. . . . There is an ornithologist called Bird, a pediatrician called Babey, and a scientist specializing in animal bioacoustics called Dolphin. A famous case is Dr. Russell Brain, a leading British neurologist. There was also a journal called Brain. It was edited for a time by Dr. Henry Head. Opposites also attract. There has been a cardinal called Sin (in the Philippines) and a police chief called Lawless (in the US).Mrs. Heather CarbWhile looking for a telephone number, we noted an aptronym. A family named Wood owns a lumber company. A New York Times article on weekend workers (Jackson, 2002, March 10) mentioned Mrs. Heather Carb, who is a bakery manager near Philadelphia.