Why some names are more attractive than others.
The ‘Name Game” Winners
“What’s in a name?” asked Shakespeare’s Juliet. “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”, she concluded; in other words, the name of a person is irrelevant. However, research by psychologists suggests that our name can have a direct effect on our personal happiness.
Having a popular name, it seems, can make other people think you are intelligent and attractive even before they have met you. This is because, according to psychologist Dr. Philip Erwin, people associate a particular name with a stereotyped image. However, having an unpopular name can have the opposite effect. “It can even affect your employment prospects,” says Dr. Erwin. “ Employers usually make up their mind within two minutes of a job interview. Part of that process is reading an applicant’s name on the CV (=curriculum vitae [BrE kә'rikjulәm 'vi:tai, AmE kә'rikjulәm 'vitә, 'viti, 'vaiti]), which may immediately create a negative stereotype in the employer’s mind.”
As a result, according to Dr. Erwin, people with less attractive names tend to work harder to get on(=to succeed)in life. As part of his research, he ratedthe first names of 68 psychology students for attractiveness, and then compared their exam marks. He found that students with unpopular, old-fashioned names did significantly better (an average of more than 3% higher marks). This suggested that they were awarethat they had unattractive names, and were working harder to overcomenegative attitudes towards their names.
Names considered to be ‘less attractive” were, for example, Norman, Ronald, and Albert for men, and Gillian, Pauline, and Agnes for women. ‘More attractive names’ were Stephen, David, Emma, and Charlotte. Actors and pop stars certainly seem to takethis into accountand it is quite common for them to change their name they were born with to a more “glamorous” one, for example, Cary Grant (born Archibald Pearce), and Bo Derek (born Mary Collins).
In the last ten years there has been a definite tendencyamong British parents to choose unusual or famous names. In 2000 the most popular name for girls was Chloe, probably because of the character in the Australian soap opera Home and Away, and Phoebe ['fi:bi] entered the top 50 for the first time, almost certainly as a result of the hit US TV series Friends. The top boy’s name, Jack, which had previously been considered an unattractive, old-fashioned name, became dramatically more popular because of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Titanic hero, Jack Dawson.
But the question is if these name will still be considered attractive when their owners grow up “When I was at school there was no one in my class with the same name as me,” says 24-year-old Farrah Stephens, who was named after the TV actress Farrah Fawcett-Majors. “By the time I was 15, everybody had forgotten about her, and I was left with this really stupid name. In the end I decided to use my middle name, Diana.” Clearly, the choice of a name for a child is a difficult decision to take. Dr. Erwin gives some practical advice: “Choose names for your children which they will be happy with in twenty years’ time, and choose a second name in case your child doesn’t like the first one.”
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___ 1. Your name doesn’t have any influence on how happy you are.
___ 2. Your name could prevent you from getting a job.
___ 3. People with unattractive names don’t normally work as hard as people with attractive ones.
___ 4. An actress called Agnes might want to change her name.
___ 5. British parents today tend to call their children after film or TV characters.
___ 6. Parents shouldn’t give children two names.
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From Adam to Zara
Personal names serve to distinguish one individual from another. Since man first began walking the earth, each individual has had a distinctive name. Creating a totally original name for a child is traditional in many cultures; however, in the American culture the normal practice is to choose a pre-existing name.
Any mother or father can say that selecting the right name is not an easy task. There are many factors to consider before naming a child. They include namesakes, ethnic origins, gender, popularity, sounds/rhythms, pronunciation, religion, spelling, stereotypes, meaning, and initials.
Namesakes can lead to confusion even when followed by a Jr. or III. This is a result of taking the name of a parent and choosing to give a child the exact name. Parents often vary the middle name of a son who carries his father's first name and call the son by a middle name, but the potential for confusion still exists. Namesakes can often lead to unhappy choices for children's names. For example, Mildred is an appropriate name for great-aunt Mildred, but for some reason it does not seem fitting for a young child. It is wiser to name a child a name that you would choose on its own merits and not just to compliment a loved one.
Many parents today are beginning to name children names that are popular in other parts of the world. When choosing a name that is of a different ethnic background or that is foreign-sounding, the parent should consider whether the name will be a burden on the child because it may be frequently mispronouncedor misspelled. It is always wise to stay away from names with accent marks (`) because the child may constantly be asked to explain it.
Some parents today find it important to keep with religious traditions, naming their children as the church wishes. Roman Catholics traditionally choose saints' names, sometimes using Mary as a first name for each daughter and pairing it with different middle names, like Mary Catherine and Mary Margaret.
It is a common practice for Jewish families to nametheir children after deceased family members.
It is not uncommon to find children with names suitable for either gender. Many parents are disregarding the sex of their baby and choosing unisex names such as Robin, Pat, Chris, Lee, and Erin.
When choosing names, parents often consider how a name will sound and its rhythm. Alliteration, as in Tina Turner or Pat Paulson, is fine, but rhymes, like Jack Black or Wanda Fonda, invite teasing.
It is also best to stay away from unconventional spellings because that tends to confuse people. For example, consider the effect of changing the last few letters of a name: Cathy, Cathie, Cathey, or Cathee.
Most names carry with them a general idea of what the person with that name should be like. In other words, they create stereotypes. Many names call to mindphysical or personality traits that often stem from a well-known namesake, real or fictional. For example, Abe is often referred to as someone who is honest, while Adolph refers to someone who is cruel. Rachel generally brings to mind someone who is beautiful, while Albert usually is thought of as someone who is fat. An image of a name will often affect its owner's self-image, as well as the way he or she is perceived by others.
Names have literal meanings. When searching for a name, many people choose names that mean something significant to them. For example, David means "beloved," while Jennifer means "white" or "fair."
Before settling on a name for a child, one should consider the initials. Adam Scott Smith is a nice name, but it would be a little embarrassing to have ASS stamped on luggage. One should consider the child before deciding on a name which the child has to live with for a lifetime.
From Adam ("man of red earth") to Zara ("brightness of dawn"), a name can reflect roots, tradition, originality, stereotyping, association, astrology, and many other factors. There are over 13,000 names, nicknames, and variations to choose from, but, in the end, we are who we are, and a name is just that. A name.
peeping Tom smart Alec Jack of all trades