Definition of aptronym in US English:

noun

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

  ‘he began collecting aptronyms when he saw an ad for a flower shop operated by Flora Gardner’

  ‘while Maryland lacks a ‘Judge Judge’, there are many attorneys here with aptonyms’

  More example sentences

  • ‘For the third summer in a row, we are profiling our local aptonyms.’
  • ‘Had John Eglinton been an onomastician, he might have noted that Stephen's surname was an aptonym.’
  • ‘Here's an amusing list of medical aptronyms, where you can read about Dr. Aikenhead (allergist), Dr. Yankum (dentist) and Dr. Ow (pain management.)’
  • ‘A reporter at the Wall Street Journal did a piece on aptonyms recently and noted that in a 2002 academic paper researchers found that people were more likely to choose professions with names that are similar to their own first names.’
  • ‘Some people pay attention to aptonyms because they appear to provide evidence that a person's name may indicate a person's professional destiny.’
  • ‘My lifetime personal best aptonym was the medical director of Seattle Children's Hospital when I was in pediatric training there.’
  • ‘I know how much you like aptonyms, so I just thought I'd pass on that my company has a smart grid expert named Ken Van Meter.’
  • ‘Dickens, too, stoops to more than one aptonym: the Cherybul brothers are cheery and Peddle and Pool are solicitors.’
  • ‘I used to collect aptonyms if I saw an interesting one in print.’
  • ‘In the old days, aptonyms weren't coincidences; they were professional labels.’
  • ‘By golly, I've found yet another brilliant aptonym - this time in the world of wine and food blogging.’