Aptronyms

Also referred to as "aptronyms", New Scientist journalist John Hoyland coined the term "nominative determinism" for these strange cases of people who seem inexorably drawn to their profession by virtue of their name. ❋ Unknown (2011)

“Collecting aptronyms is generally good fun,” Dickson writes, “but gets a bit unnerving when you run into the horrifyingly apt Will Drop, a Montreal window cleaner who died in a fall; and Wilburn and Frizzel, who on the grim morning of October 6, 1941, went to the electric chair at the Florida State prison.” ❋ William Safire (2003)

American Dream among/between anatomy of a column and, pronunciation of and the horse you rode in on anguish ankle biters anonymous antecedents apology apple-pie issues aptronyms as American as apple pie as far as the eye can see atop au jus au pairs avuncular ❋ William Safire (2003)

Of late, aptronyms seem to have cropped up at a steady clip. ❋ By CLYDE HABERMAN (2011)

A fair number of aptronyms have been in the news lately, the most recent belonging to one Christopher Coke, who pleaded guilty in Manhattan on Wednesday to federal racketeering charges. ❋ By CLYDE HABERMAN (2011)