10 Apt Names?

10 Medical Profession Aptronyms [Apt-Names]

An aptronym or ‘apt-name’ is a name that fits some aspect of a person whether it’s their occupation or personality. This is also referred to as nominative determinism – the idea that there may be a subconscious compulsion to take up a profession or characteristic linked to your name. The Romans called it ‘nomen est omen’ – your name tells your future.

The New Scientist and its readers have considered the matter many times and provided hundreds of examples including:-

A paper on incontinence written by JW Splatt and D Weedon. Director of penal reform Frances Crook….. Senior researcher for children in foster care Patrick Fagan…. Chief police officers spokesman on knife crime, Alf Hitchcock…. Not so popular UK education minister Ed Balls….. FDA drug certification director of viagra Janet Woodcock …ex Royal Bank of Scotland boss getting a 16 million payoff despite the bank’s collapse, Sir Fred Goodwin.

Psychiatrist Carl Jung wrote “Are these whimsicalities of chance….or are they meaningful coincidences?”

Who knows but there does also seems to be a kind of anti–aptronym whereby really the name could not be more unfortunate e.g. Dr Burns-Cox a UK consultant urologist & Mr Penaisbreath in Australia, both absolutely true – as are apparently the ones below…

1. Anesthetists:

Dr Mistry – Dr Ether – Dr Comfort – Dr Knapp

1. Dermatologists:

Dr Spot – Dr Rash – Dr Skinner – Dr Whitehead

1. Obstetrics & Gynecology:

Dr Wiwi – Dr Beavers – Dr Ono – Dr Vulva – Dr Bush – Dr Kuntz – Dr Love – Dr Storck – Dr Hatch – Dr Heinie – Dr Lipps – Dr Bonnie Beaver – Dr Fingers

1. Ophthalmologist:

Dr See Wong – Dr Steven I Ball – Dr Kevin Blinder

1. Orthodontist:

Dr Randall Toothaker – Dr Fillmore – Dr Ken Hurt – Dr Puller – Dr Yankum – Dr Les Plack – Dr De Kay – Dr Nasti – Dr Eke  – Dr Au [pronounced Ow] – Dr Tom Fillar

1. Psychiatrists:

Dr Strange – Dr Dippy – Dr Moodie – Dr Nutter – Dr Bummer – Dr Looney – Dr Quirk – Dr William Dement – Dr Jules Angst

1. Pediatricians:

Dr Donald Duckles – Dr Tickles – Dr Kidd – Dr Jelley – Dr Elfman – Dr Bunny – Dr Babey

1. Neurologist:

Dr Russell Brain – Dr Henry Head

1. Surgeons:

Dr Mes – Dr Rush – Dr Hackman – Dr Kutteroff –  Dr Slaughter- Dr Mallett – Dr Truluck – Dr Gore – Dr Payne – Dr Risk – Dr Fear – Dr Yell – Dr Savage – Dr Killam – Dr Graves – Dr Stopp [vasectomy specialist] Dr Feinmesser

10.  Urologists / proctologists:

Dr Weiner – Dr Richard [Dick] Finder – Dr Richard Chopp – Dr Richard Tapper – Dr Slocum – Dr Gehrkin –  Dr Whang – Dr Cockburn – Dr Dickoff  – Dr Blank & Dr Seed [fertility specialists] Dr Ima Assman – Dr Hardman – Dr John Thomas – Dr Pokemon

Dr Nicholas Burns-Cox

Source: wordsmith.org u.arizona.edu / maxfaxgp.blogspot.com / slate.msn.com en.wikipedia.org / science-frontiers.com / anorak.co.uk