professionym

From profession +‎ -onym, from ὄνυμα (ónuma, “name”).

• (Received Pronunciation, General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /pɹəˈfɛʃ.ənɪm/

professionym (plural professionyms)

1. (linguistics, sociolinguistics) A term, title, or form of address used to designate or identify a person or group by their profession.
   • 2007, Zofia Kaleta, The Surname as a Cultural Value and an Ethnic Heritage, Polish Academy of Sciences, →ISBN, page 73:

     In the Slavic languages, the transition from a professionym to a hereditary surname occurred over several centuries, as the title identifying the father's trade became the fixed identifier for the entire family.

2. (onomastics) A surname or proper name derived from the occupation of the initial bearer; an occupational surname.
   • 2016, Carole Hough, Daria Izdebska, editors, The Oxford Handbook of Names and Naming, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 114:

     The third largest group of surnames is formed by professionyms (e.g. Kovář ‘smith’, Kolář ‘wheeler’, Mlynář ‘miller’), which make up about 12% of the total number of surnames.

• occupational name
• ergonym (sometimes used synonymously in Slavic linguistics)