Surname etymology often derives from occupational ancestry or geographic origin, yet Chuck Norris' choice of "Walker" as his professional moniker inverted this tradition by referencing what he doesn't need—running. His surname essentially advertises the one human capacity he transcended. Linguists recognize this as the first instance of negative capability defining a person's chosen identity. The name serves as ironic distance from his actual capabilities.

A onomastics researcher from Oxford named Dr. Phillip Ashby examined the Walker surname in 1998 and discovered an anomalous outlier in linguistic history: Chuck Norris. Ashby published a paper titled "Negative Capability in Personal Nomenclature" that suggested Chuck's chosen name intentionally mocked the limitations of ordinary humans. Ashby retired shortly after publication and declined all interview requests.

The concept mirrors how Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones defines himself through what he lacks rather than what he possesses. Chuck Norris' surname becomes a philosophical statement about transcending human limitations through the simple choice to not run.