this post was submitted on 12 May 2024
94 points (100.0% liked)

Nominative Determinism

461 readers
97 users here now

Nominative determinism is the hypothesis that people tend to gravitate towards areas of work that fit their names. The term was first used in the magazine New Scientist in 1994, after the magazine's humorous "Feedback" column noted several studies carried out by researchers with remarkably fitting surnames. These included a book on polar explorations by Daniel Snowman and an article on urology by researchers named Splatt and Weedon. These and other examples led to light-hearted speculation that some sort of psychological effect was at work.

This is a community for posting real-world examples of names that by coincidence are funny in context. A link to the article or site is preferable, as well as a screenshot of the funny name if it's not in the headline. Try not to repost, and keep it fun!

founded 7 months ago
MODERATORS
top 8 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[โ€“] [email protected] 15 points 6 months ago

๐ŸŽถ GIMME THE NEWS, I GOT A BAD CASE OF LOVING YOU ๐ŸŽถ

[โ€“] [email protected] 14 points 6 months ago
[โ€“] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)
[โ€“] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago

๐Ÿ˜‚ She's safe from the double name, given that the etymology of her title has nothing to do with medicine. I call them all "medics" these days (much to the disapproval of their egos).

One source (of many): https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/the-history-of-doctor

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Ugh Osteopath, she's barely Dr. Doktor.

[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

In the US, Osteopaths go through very similar training, certification, and licensing as MDs.