The Repatriation of Occupational Surnames: Death Stranding Theoretical Explanation

People often meme on Kojima’s DS character names because they sound strange or overly literal. But there may be a reason they feel so unusual.

Historically, surnames were often occupational: Smith, Baker, Cooper, Porter, and so on. Over time, those occupations became disconnected from the names themselves. The occupational meaning has effectively disappeared. A Smith could be a doctor, and nobody finds that strange because “Smith” is simply a surname now.

Death Stranding: the name sounds odd using ordinary modern words, but its occupational meaning becomes relevant again. “Sam Porter Bridges” sounds like a normal surname until you realize that Sam is literally a porter. The old relationship between name and occupation has been restored, making the name feel simultaneously archaic and futuristic.

That's what makes Death Stranding's names particularly uncanny: we're accustomed to surnames having lost their original meaning, and Kojima makes that meaning relevant again.