Aptronym

Aptronym

ˈaptrəˌnim

Noun

  • A person’s name that is regarded as amusingly appropriate to their occupation.

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Example Sentences

“The clerk at the fish market wore a nametag reading ‘Ms. Flounder,’ which was a perfect aptronym.”

“Our class’s enthusiastic new gym teacher had the aptronym ‘Mr. Ball.'”

“My mechanic has an amazing aptronym: Carl Lifft.”

Word Origin

Greek, 1920s

Why this word?

The greatest sprinting runner in history is Usain Bolt, while Britain is home to weatherperson Sarah Blizzard, and Lance Bass of former boy band ‘N Sync fame sang with a low register (although Bass pronounces his name like the fish, not the pitch). But aptronyms (“apt” meaning “appropriate,” and “nym” applying to a name) aren’t just for celebrities — imagine a woodworker named David Carpenter, or a pastry chef named Lucy Baker. Aptronyms call back to the origination of English family names. People tended to be named according to their ancestors or profession, such as “Richardson” for the son of someone named Richard, and “Smith” for a blacksmith or silversmith.

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ˌdāno͞oˈmäN