One in a McMillion: These Two Lottery Winners Have Unbelievably Apt Names
Posted on: May 29, 2026, 07:10h.
Last updated on: May 29, 2026, 07:35h.
- Two aptly named winners hit separate lottery jackpots in the exact same week
- With surnames like McMillion and Fortune, the pair are the ultimate examples of “nominative determinism”
Not since Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker back in 2003 has the gambling world seen such a perfect case of nominative determinism. Last week, two separate lottery players did their names proud by hitting massive state jackpots.
Jerome McMillion of Fayetteville, N.C., scored the $200,000 top prize on a $5 High Voltage Cash ticket on Tuesday, according to the North Carolina Education Lottery.
Meanwhile, in New York, Francine Fortune of Brooklyn scooped a cool $1 million on a 50Extra ticket, and she’s thrilled about it, as you can tell from the image supplied by the New York State Lottery.
What’s in a Name?
“Nominative determinism” refers to cases where someone’s name amusingly matches their occupation or fate, such as “Mr. Plant” the gardener, or “Mr. Payne” the dentist. Or imagine if someone called “Mr. Bolt” became the world’s fastest sprinter.
Casino.org has been unable to find many examples of other fittingly named lottery winners, so to land two in the same week is one in a McMillion. These incidents are gold dust for the lotteries’ relentless publicity machines because the headlines write themselves.
However, there is one previous winner that stands out. In 2021, a Canadian named Alfred Cashman won a lot of cash, man. The 73-year-old father of two and grandfather of four from Fort Erie bagged the $1 million prize in the Lotto 6/49 draw.
Also in 2021, a UK man named Mr. Potts won £300,000 on a National Lottery Jewel Smash ticket. We’d like to report that his first name was Jack, but it wasn’t – it was Graham.
Born for the Role
Some of our favorite real examples of nominative determinism include Dr. Dick Chopp, a highly specialized urologist based in Texas; Dr. Lauren Hyman, a California-based gynecologist, and a New York lawyer named Soo Yoo.
While many of these names feel too perfect to be true, studies have found statistically significant evidence that people are more likely to pursue careers that align with their names, often driven by subconscious psychological comfort and affinity.
Unfortunately, no amount of subconscious influence can help you pick winning lottery numbers, and lottery balls are famously indifferent to nominative determinism.
Every now and then, though, they seem willing to play along.
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