The Joy of Nominative Determinism
Can the alignment of names and occupations be more than mere coincidence? When I was at secondary school, our music teacher was Mr Doe, and the art teacher was Mr Drewitt. This was amusing to us as 13-year-olds, though we wished that Mr Hopkins had been a PE teacher and Mr Cave had taught geology instead of history.
A geography teacher at a nearby school named Mr Forecast actually taught meteorology classes. There are many instances of job-appropriate surnames, including a surgeon named Dr Blood, a sailor called Mr Boatman, and a Lord Chief Justice named Sir Igor Judge. Such examples are entertaining.
In the Middle Ages, surnames often reflected occupations—Baker, Butcher, Carpenter, Weaver, and so on. But in modern times, could a surname actually influence a person's choice of profession? Surprisingly, there is a serious claim supporting this idea.
The Concept of Nominative Determinism
This notion is known as “nominative determinism,” the idea that people are subconsciously drawn to professions, interests, and activities related to their family names.
“Nominative determinism” is the notion that people are subconsciously drawn to professions, interests and activities which relate in some way or other to their own family names.
Whether coincidence or subconscious influence, the alignment of names and occupations remains a fascinating subject.