# Aptronyms in Fiction **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 13, 2006, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aptronyms-in-fiction/352484 "2006-04-13T04:15:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aptronyms-in-fiction/352484/21 "2006-04-13T17:48:26Z")
Not a very good example, But Honor Harrington has plenty of honor. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aptronyms-in-fiction/352484/22 "2006-04-13T17:49:02Z")
In the Honor Harrington books, there’s a revolutionary who ends up as dictator of a republic-in-name, named Robert Stanton Pierre. He generally goes by Rob S. Pierre. Does that count? Oh, and another one: Prince Valiant. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aptronyms-in-fiction/352484/23 "2006-04-13T17:51:19Z")
Chester Gould, in his comic strip **Dick Tracy** , used plenty of these, both direct \*\*B.O. Plenty Gravel Gertie Tess Trueheart B.B. Eyes Vitamin Flintheart \*\* and by simply reversing the names: \*\*Joe Redrum Mr. Toirtap\*\* He also had plenty of descriptive nicknames, but that’s different (Flattop, Pruneface, Mumbles, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aptronyms-in-fiction/352484/24 "2006-04-13T17:58:12Z")
Ironically, when I posted that, **N9IWP** ’s post wasn’t there. I considered nominating Honor herself, but naming girls after virtues is a long tradition, and honor isn’t really Honor’s defining characteristic (that would be bravery or something of the sort, I think). There’s probably also plenty of religious Faiths, and optimistic Hopes, and kind Charities, and such in fiction (and in real life), but those seem almost too easy. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Clam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@Happy\_Clam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Clam)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aptronyms-in-fiction/352484/25 "2006-04-13T18:05:12Z")
In **Endgame** Beckett _may_ -emphasis on the speculative- use aptronyms for most of the characters. Ham- suggests “ham actor”- I think this one is a little remote, personally. Also “hammer”, while… Clov- “cleu” is “nail” in French (the language in which Beckett wrote, IIRC). Hammer and nail pretty much describes Hamm/Clov’s relationship. Nagg- the legless father, who does indeed nag for food for most of the play. Nell- the dead mother- a suggestion of “death knell”, maybe? Plus, comics of course. In some versions of continuity, “Joe Kerr” is the original name of the Joker. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aptronyms-in-fiction/352484/26 "2006-04-13T18:07:19Z")
The lead character in Louise Cooper’s _Indigo_ series is named, well, Indigo. It’s the color of mourning in that culture, and the character deliberately takes that name to indicate her continuing penance for the action that starts off the whole series. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aptronyms-in-fiction/352484/27 "2006-04-13T18:18:07Z")
In _Lost,_ Jack Shepherd is the leader of some of the lostaways. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aptronyms-in-fiction/352484/28 "2006-04-13T18:46:13Z")
And in C.S. Lewis’s trilogy comprising _Out of the silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength_, the man who stands in as an avatar of Christ (particularly in _Perelandra_) is named Ransom. ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aptronyms-in-fiction/352484/29 "2006-04-13T19:34:23Z")
**Caddyshack** was good for a couple: Lacy Underall Dr. Beeper ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aptronyms-in-fiction/352484/30 "2006-04-13T19:59:33Z")
> [@Peter Morris](#): > > Caractucus Potts, crackpot inventor. In that same story, Truly Scrumptious. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aptronyms-in-fiction/352484/31 "2006-04-13T20:04:18Z")
[Mort](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061020680/qid=1144958600/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-9641713-8277757?s=books&v=glance&n=283155), Death’s assistant & Susan Death’s father. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aptronyms-in-fiction/352484/32 "2006-04-13T20:06:01Z")
So sorry. Could a mod please fix my coding? ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aptronyms-in-fiction/352484/33 "2006-04-13T20:11:37Z")
In Gone with the Wind, Scarlett’s sisters: Suellen – who was sullen and whiney (and was actually described by using the word sullen in at least one place :rolleyes: ) and Careen, who was very caring. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aptronyms-in-fiction/352484/34 "2006-04-13T20:20:24Z")
Monty Python had some good ones; “Ken Shabby” is my favorite. And he was. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aptronyms-in-fiction/352484/35 "2006-04-13T20:31:00Z")
“Mal. Bad. From the Latin…” ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aptronyms-in-fiction/352484/36 "2006-04-13T20:39:07Z")
Data, Star Trek: TNG. Can’t believe no one’s mentioned him yet. And the holographic doctor on Voyager usually went by “Doc.” Come to think of it, “Bones” McCoy was rather skinny … Anyway, Capt. Benjamin Sisko’s middle name was Lafayette, and I could see an argument for some similarities between his character and the role of Gen’l Lafayette in the Revolutionary War: Namely, Sisko helped the Bajorans complete their rebellion against Cardassian rule. Eh, it’s a stretch, but I think it’s there. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aptronyms-in-fiction/352484/37 "2006-04-13T22:39:56Z")
Of course, aptronyms show up occasionally in real life, too. From 1995-1999, there was an 8-foot fellow on Villanova’s basketball team named “Bigus”. And one of my officemates, named Long, is about 6’8". ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aptronyms-in-fiction/352484/38 "2006-04-13T23:10:39Z")
Another real life example: The University of Alabama has a football player who it’s predicted will go pro. His name is Prothro. (A google will bring up nasty accident pics of his leg injury this year.) From TV: Token on _South Park_ and Sid Vicious (which yes, I know, was not his birth name) From Literature: Holly Golightly could be argued to be an aptronym based on the way she lives her life. “Zorba” in Turkish means an agressive person (although in the pejorative sense). Zorba the Greek was kind hearted but could also be called agressive and insensitive. “Jabba” ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aptronyms-in-fiction/352484/39 "2006-04-13T23:11:42Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Of course, aptronyms show up occasionally in real life, too. Larry Speakes & Thomas Crapper spring to mind. Back to fiction, Reginald Iolanthe Perrin kept faking his death, and his monogram read R.I.P. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aptronyms-in-fiction/352484/40 "2006-04-13T23:12:59Z")
Sorry- premature postulation. Jabba means ‘toad’ in some Slavic languages and you can see a definite resemblance. Han Solo was, at least as far as humans went, a solo sort. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aptronyms-in-fiction/352484.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aptronyms-in-fiction/352484.md?page=3)