Ben Folds, Pete Rose and Britney Spears walk into a bar

January 9, 2025 10:26 PM

Does anyone know the term describing people's names that are also grammatical two-word sentences? I've forgotten what the term is, and Google search is no help.

Any other fun examples?

posted by Umami Dearest to Writing & Language (33 answers total)

Police constable Rob Banks
posted by btfreek at 10:34 PM on January 9 [4 favorites]

Before Ben Folds, Jeremy Irons.
posted by ponie at 11:11 PM on January 9 [11 favorites]

I went to school with a guy named Dusty Rhodes.
posted by stormyteal at 11:19 PM on January 9

At least 100 years old, probably seared into my brain from "1000 jokes for kids":

Mary Rose sat on a pin.
Mary Rose.

I can't find a name for it apart from surnames-that-are-verbs, which is not very snappy.
posted by samj at 11:36 PM on January 9 [1 favorite]

William Hurt
posted by Calvin and the Duplicators at 11:59 PM on January 9 [1 favorite]

Pierce Brosnan.

(From the other direction.)
posted by distorte at 12:04 AM on January 10 [2 favorites]

Joe Blogs
posted by night_train at 12:28 AM on January 10

Elizabeth Taylor, controversially.
posted by kickingtheground at 12:59 AM on January 10 [1 favorite]

Porn star Miles Long.
posted by fairmettle at 1:16 AM on January 10 [1 favorite]

Bill Withers
posted by Calvin and the Duplicators at 1:38 AM on January 10 [4 favorites]

I’m not sure there is a technical term for them, but I’ve heard “sentence names” round and about the place.
posted by cabbage raccoon at 1:57 AM on January 10 [3 favorites]

Montgomery Burns
posted by Samarium at 3:02 AM on January 10 [2 favorites]

Wilt Chamberlain
posted by chavenet at 3:06 AM on January 10

"nominative determinism" is what's used to describe someone whose name fits their job / life / personality but that's not quite the same thing as you're looking for, I'd guess.
posted by chavenet at 3:09 AM on January 10 [3 favorites]

Mel Brooks, Billy Shears, Alicia Keys

(And Bill Withers is the punchline to one of the best joke that’s ever been posted on Ask.)
posted by Xalf at 6:12 AM on January 10 [2 favorites]

Alicia Keys is not her real name. Though Alicia Cook is a sentence if you add a comma…
posted by mochapickle at 6:28 AM on January 10

Tom Waits, and the author C. S. Lewis was (omg I can't believe I get to type this)
Clive Staples Lewis
posted by adekllny at 6:53 AM on January 10 [12 favorites]

Billy Strings
Reverend Run
Dean Winters
Paul Sparks
Robert Chew
I once had a student named Levi Kill
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:35 AM on January 10

Dick Pound?
posted by BungaDunga at 7:41 AM on January 10

I have friends with last names that work for this:
Fields
Bridges
Burns
posted by greta simone at 7:45 AM on January 10

For Peter Orwig (founder of Orwigsburg, PA) and all other Orwigs, every name is a question offering the choice between a person and a wig.
posted by cubby at 8:10 AM on January 10

Also, the unfortunately named Ima Hogg, whose name graces several buildings in TX thanks to the family's philanthropy
posted by cubby at 8:12 AM on January 10

There was a dentist in my area growing up who shingle outside his office said, E.Z. Filler and apparently those were his real initials.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:58 AM on January 10

Here's the latest Bobby Fingers.

Honorable mention to D. Adams' creation Dirk Gently.
posted by aesop at 9:57 AM on January 10 [1 favorite]

Rosa Parks
Lester Bangs
Amber Heard
Cheryl Strayed (this one's kind of cheating)
posted by aws17576 at 10:14 AM on January 10

Wade Boggs
posted by hovey at 12:27 PM on January 10 [1 favorite]

Stevie Nicks
Hugo Weaving
Mark Twain
Claude Rains
Brooke Shields
posted by castlebravo at 12:39 PM on January 10

Bill Stickers (aka Bill Posters), who is, indeed, innocent.
posted by cobaltnine at 5:48 PM on January 10

I had a college professor named Leslie Shook
posted by anotheraccount at 5:50 PM on January 10

Ginger Rogers
posted by Calvin and the Duplicators at 10:35 PM on January 10

I have one of these! XX Parks and when I’m not driving, my brother XY Parks.
posted by fancypants at 4:49 AM on January 11

...Kathy Bates?
posted by dick dale the vampire at 11:23 AM on January 11

I always loved: "Will Will Smith smith?"

It's been years since Schitt's Creek ended, but it was just this moment I realized the characters' names reflect their collective narrative arc: Moira Rose, David Rose, Alexis Rose, Johnny Rose.

Nice.
posted by mochapickle at 11:34 AM on January 11 [1 favorite]