What's in a name? Potentially your
future.

A host of research shows just how
much your name can affect your
lifetime success, from your
hireability to your spending habits.
We took a look at the research and
have highlighted some of the
surprising findings below:


1. 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 performed
better in the stock market.

2. If your name is common, you are more
likely to be hired.
In a study by Marquette University ,
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 .

3. If your name is uncommon, you are
more likely to be a delinquent.
A study at Shippensburg University
revealed that there is a strong
relationship between the popularity
of one's first name and juvenile
delinquency. Researchers found that
unpopular names were positively
correlated with juvenile
delinquency. While the names
themselves are probably not the
cause of the criminal activity, they
may be related to factors that
increase one's tendency toward
juvenile delinquency, such as low
socioeconomic status.

4. If you have a white-sounding name,
you're more likely to get hired.
In one study cited by The Atlantic,
white-sounding names like Emily
Walsh and Greg Baker got nearly
50% more callbacks than candidates
with black-sounding names like
Lakisha Washington and Jamal
Jones. Researchers determined that
having a white-sounding name is
worth as much as eight years of work
experience.

5. If your name is closer to the beginning
of the alphabet, you might get into a
better school.
In a study published in the
Economics of Education Review ,
researchers studied the relationship
between the position in the alphabet
of students' names and their
admission chances at competitive
schools. The earlier in the alphabet a
name came, the more likely they
were to be admitted.

6. If your last name is closer to the end of
the alphabet, you're more likely to be
an impulse spender.
According to one study, people with
last names such as Yardley or Zabar
may be more susceptible to
promotional strategies like limited-
time offers. The authors speculate
that spending your childhood at the
end of the roll call may make you
want to jump on offers before you
miss the chance.

7. You are more likely to work in a
company that matches your initials.
Since we identify with our names, we
prefer things that are similar to
them. In a Ghent University study,
researchers found that people are
more likely to work for companies
matching their own initials. For
example, Amanda might work for
Amazon. The rarer the initials, the
more likely people were to work for
companies with names similar to
their own.

8.Using your middle initial makes people
think you're smarter and more
competent.
According to research published in
the European Journal of Social
Psychology, using a middle initial
increases people's perceptions of
your intellectual capacity and
performance. In one study, students
were asked to rate an essay with one
of four styles of author names. Not
only did the authors with a middle
initial receive top marks, but the one
with the most initials, David F.P.R.
Clark, received the best reviews.

9. If your name sounds noble, you are
more likely to work in a high-ranking
position.
In a European study , researchers
studied German names and ranks
within companies. Those with last
names such as Kaiser ("emperor" or
König ("king" were in more
managerial positions than those with
last names that referred to common
occupations, such as Koch ("cook" or
Bauer ("farmer". This is because of
associative cognition, which means
that the status linked to your name
may influence how people view you.

10. If you are a boy with a girl's name, you
are more likely to be suspended from
school.
Northwestern University researchers
studied a large Florida school district
from 1996 to 2000 and found that
boys with names most commonly
given to girls misbehaved more in
middle school and were more likely
to disrupt their peers. Their
behavioral problems also led to
increased disciplinary problems and
lower test scores for their friends as
well.

11. If you are a woman with a sexually
ambiguous name, you are more likely to
succeed.
According to The Atlantic , in male-
dominated fields such as engineering
and law, women with "sexually
ambiguous" names are more
successful. One study found that
women with masculine names, such
as Leslie, Jan, or Cameron, are more
successful in legal careers.

12. Men with shorter first names are
overrepresented in the c-suite.
In 2011, LinkedIn analyzed more
than 100 million user profiles to find
out which names are most associated
with the CEO position. The most
common names for men were short,
often one-syllable names like Bob,
Jack, and Bruce. A name specialist
speculates that men in power may
use nicknames to offer a sense of
friendliness and openness.

13. Women at the top are more likely to use
their full names.
In the same study, LinkedIn
researchers found that the most
common names of female CEOs
include Deborah, Cynthia, and
Carolyn. Unlike the men, women may
use their full names in an attempt to
project professionalism and gravitas,
according to the report.

Source: businessinsider.com

There is only one rule!
If your name is the same as top notch politician or a rich person like Tinubu or Dangote, then you will be hired

50% true talk

Well said

Apart from the 13 points posted by Op, some names are completely associated with poverty and can hardly be found among successful people.

Taking Nigeria as example, you can hardly find successful people bearing the same names with those area boys or Agberos.

Is this supposed to be a premonition , a prediction or Guess work?
I have seen several RICH people with really horrible sounding and terrifyingly dangerous Names.