this post was submitted on 15 May 2025
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Nominative Determinism

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Nominative determinism is the hypothesis that people tend to gravitate towards areas of work that fit their names. The term was first used in the magazine New Scientist in 1994, after the magazine's humorous "Feedback" column noted several studies carried out by researchers with remarkably fitting surnames. These included a book on polar explorations by Daniel Snowman and an article on urology by researchers named Splatt and Weedon. These and other examples led to light-hearted speculation that some sort of psychological effect was at work.

This is a community for posting real-world examples of names that by coincidence are funny in context. A link to the article or site is preferable, as well as a screenshot of the funny name if it's not in the headline. Try not to repost, and keep it fun!

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Don Black, white supremacist

[–] smeg@feddit.uk 4 points 1 week ago

Where do you think I've been getting all my post ideas from?

[–] MrPoletki@feddit.uk 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

They left out the infamous picture of the American firefighter who appeared ont he news to talk about some fire.

His name iss Les McBurney

https://images.app.goo.gl/6jqeLFPErpQ5kUer6

[–] smeg@feddit.uk 2 points 1 week ago

Don't worry, I posted him pretty early on!