The Joy of Nominative Determinism
Can the alignment of names and occupations be more than pure coincidence? During my school years, our music teacher was Mr Doe, and the art teacher was Mr Drewitt. At thirteen, we found this amusing, although it seemed a shame that Mr Hopkins wasn’t a PE instructor and Mr Cave didn’t teach geology instead of history.
Nearby, a geography teacher named Mr Forecast also gave lessons in meteorology, which seemed perfectly fitting. Across professions, there are countless examples of people whose names curiously match their jobs: the surgeon Dr Blood, a sailor called Mr Boatman, and a Lord Chief Justice by the name of Sir Igor Judge.
Such examples are entertaining. But can this sort of alignment of names and occupations ever have involved more than just simple coincidence?
In the Middle Ages, people often adopted surnames based on their work—such as Baker, Butcher, Carpenter, or Weaver. But could the reverse happen today? Could a person’s surname subtly guide their career choice?
Surprisingly, there’s a hypothesis that suggests yes. Known as nominative determinism, it is the idea that individuals are subconsciously drawn toward occupations, hobbies, or pursuits that relate in some way to their family names.
Author’s Summary
The essay humorously explores how names may influence life paths, introducing the theory of nominative determinism as a potential link between identity and occupation.
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