Monday, August 3, 2009

The Grand List of Rightful, Coincidental, Perfect Names, Aptronyms, Aptonyms, and Jobonyms.

When one starts to notice name coincidences, a bizarre, metaphysical dimension is revealed. All of these can be found online or were verified in person. Submissions, mostly from a tireless team of friends and family, were excluded if they were not particularly unique (i.e. the many instances of Dr. Payne) or if they were likely changed on purpose (i.e. realtor Craig Greathouse). The world is full of them but these are too special to pass up.


PERFECT NAMES TO PROVE THAT GOD EXISTS AND IS LAUGHING AT US:

Tampa Bay pitcher - Grant Balfour
VP, Sales and Marketing, Accubuilt Funeral Vehicles, Lima, OH -
Nathan Hurst

Authors of Ahead of Your Time, A Complete Guide to End-of-Life Planning - Dick and Sue Coffin
Director of Nashville GYN center - Dr. Larry Gurley
Proprietor of Tito's Handmade Vodka, Austin, TX - Tito Beveridge
PGA golfer - Andrew Parr
NYU Professor, Author of paper on children’s sexuality at the 78th Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences about "sexting," - Peter Cumming
Urologist, Elizabethtown, KY - Dr. Mohamed Iqbal
Licensed aesthetician for AestheticsMD Laser and Skin Care, Gallatin, TN - Tracie Stubblefield
Deputy Chief Executive of Epilepsy Action (UK) - Simon Wigglesworth
Toledo, OH Urologist - Dr. Richard Tapper
AES Seal Co. representative, Knoxville, TN - Martin Gash
Nashville landscape architect - Isaac Wantland
Douglas County (Reno) Sheriff - Marshall Flagg
Sarasota prostate cancer specialist and urologist - Dr. Richard Sorace
British Lieutenant-Colonel / war hero (received the Military Medal for heroic act 8/20/44) - David Danger
WFLD Chicago meteorologist - Amy Freeze
Southern Mississippi kicker - Brent Barefoot
ATF Agent and drug trafficking expert interviewed on History Channel's Gangland - Jim Needles
Manufacturer of "Quality Bathroom Fixtures," Brookpark, OH - E.L. Mustee
$50 billion Ponzi scheme operator - Bernard Madoff
University of Illinois law professor - Bob Lawless
Foriest Tree Care (Nashville) owner - Mike Foriest
Channel 5 Newscaster, Nashville, TN - Josh Talkington
Nashville urologist - Dr. Raoul Concepcion
Nashville podiatrist - Dr. Stephen Head
Author of "The American Jew in Search of Himself" 1962 - Richard Hertz
Race car driver Andy Friese
Singer for Christan Band "The Altar Boys" - Mike W. Stand
Wesley Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery, Nashville - Kimberly A Klippenstein, MD
Women's advocate, former president of NARAL Pro-Choice America -
Kate Michelman

Dir. of Asia Studies at the Council of Foreign Relations -
Elizabeth Economy

Oregon State University paleomagnetist (geologist) - Joe Stoner
Exec Director of the American Council on Alcohol Problems - Dan Ireland
Author of "The Botany of Desire," etc. - Michael Pollan
Brewer's first baseman - Prince Fielder
World record Jamaican sprinter - Usain Bolt
Oakland A's pitcher - Josh Outman
Anti-Aging Specialist, Nu Skin distributor, Clarksville, TN - Tammy Flake
2003 World Series of Poker Winner – Chris Moneymaker (real!)
Tennessee Titans tight end – Alge Crumpler
South African female runner accused of being a hermaphrodite – Caster Semanaya


THE HONORABLE MENTIONS
These can go on forever. Some names are not so surprising when we consider the origin of surnames and historical naming conventions based on religious archetypes, features in nature, or simply from a vocation. Other names may be a little too common or too general (i.e. women named "Fox," billionaires named "Rich," athletes named "Ball,")
, or are a little bit of a stretch like GM CEO Rick Wagoner. They are fun nonetheless. The list of links will lead you to many more.

Author of GetRidofThings.com articles or ridding moths, beetles, and other insects - Jonathan Hatch
Nashville saxophone player - Jim Horn

CO Rockies outfielder - Dexter Fowler
Attorney for the Vermont Alliance Defense Fund - David Cortman
Herbalist, author of article about making lawn interesting - Liza Field
Pork processing plant worker from Modern Marvels meat documentary - Sam Burger
2008 Stihl Timbersports Competitor - Mike Forrester
Author of bio. novel of Michelangelo, The Agony and the EcstasyIrving Stone
USA sprinter - Dee Dee Trotter
Funny car racer (the one with the large hood) married to the below - Ashley Force Hood
Verso Paper Board of Directors member, Memphis - Eric L. Press
Tennis legend, Martina Navrotilova (Navratil translates to "returned" in Czech)
OB-GYNs in AZ, MO, VA, NC, & VA, Dr. Matthew, Richard, James, James, & Robert Holman
Charles Sueing Insurance Agency, Nashville
Republican Mayor of Petal, MS - Hal Marx
KKK leader and convict for burning a cross in public, Johnstown, PA - Barry Black
Memphis lumber wholesaler - Walter Fields (and lumbermen sons Jr and III)
Nashville landscape architect - Marley Fields

Colliers Turley Martin Tucker Commercial Real Estate agent, Nashville, TN - Land Deleot
South Lake Tahoe hospital surgical buyer - Sherri Byer
St. Jude Catholic Church (Dallas) priest - Father Timothy A. Church
Nashville plastic surgeon - Dr. Larry Young
TN Natural Heritage Program rare plant list author and botanist - Todd Crabtree
Donelson Cumberland Presbyterian Church minister, Nashville, TN - James Cross
NASCAR driver - Scott Speed


Other lists:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aptronym

http://www.joe-ks.com/aptonyms.htm
http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/09/06/announcing-the-winners-of-our-aptonym-contest/
http://homepage.mac.com/chapmandave/aptonyms/index2.html
http://www.slate.com/id/2140669/



SUBMIT ONE: Go to "view my profile" (right) and click the email link.
Must be confirmed online and with a geographic location.

4 comments:

  1. Lawyer named Sue Moore

    ReplyDelete
  2. Not really an aptronym, but funny nonetheless: according to Ripley's Believe It Or Not, there was a man named Sam Heller who was a ham seller.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  4. One I always think of:

    Alexander Graham Bell and the telephone. More most of the history of the telephone, they used Bells!!

    ReplyDelete