The Joy of Nominative Determinism
Can the relationship between a person’s name and their job be more than coincidence? When I was at secondary school, our music teacher was Mr Doe, and our art teacher was Mr Drewitt. As 13-year-olds, we found it funny that Mr Hopkins was not a PE teacher, and that Mr Cave taught history instead of geology.
At a nearby school, a geography teacher named Mr Forecast also taught meteorology. There are countless similar examples: a surgeon named Dr Blood, a sailor called Mr Boatman, and even a Lord Chief Justice known as Sir Igor Judge. These cases are amusing, but they raise an interesting question—could such connections be more than chance?
In the Middle Ages, surnames often came from occupations—Baker, Butcher, Carpenter, Weaver, and so on. But can this process work in reverse today? Could a modern surname influence career choice?
The hypothesis suggesting this possibility is known as "nominative determinism"—the idea that people are subconsciously drawn to careers or activities related to their names.
Author’s Summary
Surnames may subtly steer people toward fitting professions, an idea captured by the concept of nominative determinism.