An aptronym is a name that matches the occupation or character of its owner, often in a humorous or ironic way. Also called an aptonym or a namephreak.

A contemporary example of an aptronym is Usain "Lightning" Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter who's widely regarded as the world's fastest man. Other examples include poet William Wordsworth, undertaker Robert Coffin, and astronaut Sally Ride.

The term aptronym (literally, "an apt name") was coined by American newspaper columnist Franklin Pierce Adams, best known by his initials F.P.A.

Examples and Observations