James Bond May Have Been Named After A Toronto Church
Writer Ian Fleming first introduced the world to the fictional character of James Bond in 1953. Also known as 007, the special agent of the British Secret Service has since appeared in novels, comic books, films and an animated series. Today James Bond is one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time, worth an estimated $19.9 billion. Fans of 007 are drawn to his guns, gadgets, cars, smooth style and of course, his Bond girls.
Fleming did an epic job of creating a character that readers and viewers would become entranced with. But where did the name "James Bond" come from? Fleming has said that the name was inspired by an author of an ornithological reference book. But one fan, an author himself, stumbled upon something that was just too obvious to be a coincidence.
At one time, James Bond author Ian Fleming lived in Toronto, on Avenue Rd. His home was just down the street from St. James Bond United Church. The church was so close to his residence, in fact, that it's likely the author would have passed it nearly on a daily basis. It got its name as an amalgamation of two other churches, St. James and Bond Street churches. This has yet to be confirmed with Fleming himself, but is quite a coincidence!
