APTRONYM

'Aptronym', a word allegedly coined by United States newspaper columnist Franklin P. Adams, refers to a name that is aptly suited to its owner. Fictional examples of aptronyms include Mr. Talkative and Mr. Worldly Wiseman in John Bunyan's ''The Pilgrim's Progress''.

Contents

Examples

Other Examples

Other issues

References

See also

External links

Examples

Real-life and fictional people can also have aptronyms. Some notable examples:

★ Michael Ball, Football player, currently at Manchester City

★ Britt Barefoot, punter for the University of Southern Mississippi college football team

★ Layne Beachley, Australian world champion surfer

★ George Best, one of the best footballers for Manchester United, and also in history

★ Brian Cashman, general manager of the New York Yankees, who consistently have the highest payroll in MLB

★ Margaret Court, tennis player

★ Thomas Crapper, manufacturer of Victorian toilets. (Note that the word "crap" predates Mr Crapper. See main article on Thomas Crapper for details)

★ Tim Duncan, basketball player

★ Prince Fielder, baseball player

★ Eric Gagne, Canadian-born major league baseball pitcher, whose last name translates from French to "win"

★ Learned Hand, judge

★ Chip Jett, professional poker player

★ Mort Kunstler, American painter, whose name in German directly translates as "artist"

★ Mario Lemieux, French-Canadian NHL Hall-of-Fame player, whose name in French directly translates as "The Best"

★ Chuck Long, former NFL quarterback for the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams

★ Bill Medley, singer, one half of The Righteous Brothers

★ Chris Moneymaker, winner of 2003 World Series of Poker

★ Anna Smashnova, tennis player

★ Margaret Spellings, Education Secretary under George W. Bush

★ Larry Speakes, presidential spokesman under President Ronald Reagan

★ Lake Speed, former Nascar driver

★ Scott Speed, former Formula One, GP2 and A1GP racing driver

★ Charlie Spikes, former Major League Baseball player

★ Mack Strong, NFL fullback

★ Willie Thrower, former NFL quarterback

★ John Tory, leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party

★ Bob Walk, former Major League Baseball pitcher

★ Tiger Woods, golfer (Wood is a type of golf club)

★ William Wordsworth, poet

Other Examples

In the book ''What's in a Name?'' (1996), author Paul Dickson cites a long list of aptronyms originally compiled by Professor Lewis P. Lipsitt, of Brown University. A sampling from the list:

★ ''James Bugg'', exterminator

★ ''Dan Druff'', barber

★ ''Rev. James R. God'', minister of the Baptist Church in Congress, South Carolina

★ ''Priscilla Flattery'', Environmental Protection Agency publicist

★ ''Bill Headline'', Washington, D.C. bureau chief for CNN

★ ''C. Sharpe Minor'', an organist

★ ''U.S. Navey'', member of the United States Marine Corps

★ ''Quentin Jammer'' NFL Corner back
Some aptronyms are ironic rather than descriptive. The former Archbishop of Manila, Jaime L. Sin known as "Cardinal Sin," is a notable example. Dickson's book also lists a Rev. Richard Sinner of Fargo, North Dakota.
In the television show Seinfeld, during an episode in which Jerry had been fined by the New York Public Library for failing to return a book, the Library's enforcement officer's name was Lt. Bookman.

Other issues

Aptronyms may be called "aptonyms" by other writers. San Francisco columnist Herb Caen used the term "namephreaks". Washington Post columnist Bob Levey prefers the term PFLNs, or Perfect Fit Last Names.
There does not yet seem to be a standard terminology for this linguistic curiosity.

References

★ "aptronym." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2005. Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service. 30 Mar. 2005. [1]

★ Dickson, Paul. ''What's in a Name? Reflections of an Irrepressible Name Collector''. Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996. ISBN 0-87779-613-0

See also

★ Nominative determinism, which has a similar meaning

★ -onym

External links

★ List of 125+ Aptonyms

★ Aptronyms in the Wizard of Id

★ "Charol Shakeshaft, Topped!", a list of reader-submitted aptronyms by Slate's Timothy Noah.