What's in a name? Potentially your child's future.
A host of research shows just how much your name can affect your lifetime success, from your hireability to your spending habits.
So it comes as little surprise then that there is a growing trend among parents called "namer's remorse" — one in five mothers say they regret the name they chose for their child, the Guardian reports.
In fact, parents are so worried about giving their kids the wrong name that some are willing to shell out thousands of dollars to have "professional naming experts" do the job for them.
To help you avoid becoming another statistic — and save you a bundle of money — we took a look at the research that correlates names with various factors of success and have highlighted some of the most helpful findings below:
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If your name is easy to pronounce, people will favor you more
In a New York University study, researchers found that people with easier-to-pronounce names often have higher-status positions at work. One of the psychologists, Adam Alter, explains to Wired, "When we can process a piece of information more easily, when it's easier to comprehend, we come to like it more." In a further study, Alter also found that companies with simpler names and ticker symbols tended to perform better in the stock market.
If your name is common, you are more likely to be hired
In a Marquette University study, the researchers found evidence to suggest that names that were viewed as the least unique were more likable. People with common names were more likely to be hired, and those with rare names were least likely to be hired. That means that the Jameses, Marys, Johns, and Patricias of the world are in luck.
Uncommon names are associated with juvenile delinquency
A 2009 study at Shippensburg University suggested that there's a strong relationship between the popularity of one's first name and juvenile criminal behavior. Researchers found that, regardless of race, young people with unpopular names were more likely to engage in criminal activity.
The findings obviously don't show that the unusual names caused the behavior, but merely show a link between the two things. And the researchers have some theories about their findings.
"Adolescents with unpopular names may be more prone to crime because they are treated differently by their peers, making it more difficult for them to form relationships," they write in a statement from the journal's publisher. "Juveniles with unpopular names may also act out because they ... dislike their names."
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
