Where did Ian Fleming get the name "Goldfinger" from and why? | Notes and Queries

Where did Ian Fleming get the name "Goldfinger" from and why?

• Ian Fleming was a friend of the architect Erno Goldfinger who, among other things, designed the famous Trellick Tower in Ladbroker Grove - it is believed that he was inspired by Erno's surname.

  Tony Whyte, London

• From the architect, Erno Goldfinger. Fleming seemed to pick up names for his characters all over the place - "Blofeld" supposedly came from spotting the signature on a club register of a man called Blofield (related to the cricket commentator) and "James Bond" was the author of a book on birdwatching. I'm not sure if there was ever a real-life Oddjob, though.

  Alex Kiernan, London N3

• I attended a HBCU (a predominantly African-American college). A tradition was that one received a nickname that was applied for life. One lad was discovered masturbating in the lavatory and received the nickname "Goldfinger".

  David Null, Claremont, California, US