"What's in a name? That which we call a roseBy any other name would smell as sweet."
Juliet tells Romeo that a name is nothing more than an artificial and meaningless convention. Was Shakespeare way off? Do names really dictate things like economic success? The folks over at the Freakonomics blog have put together some interesting studies. Check out the links below and leave a comment. Do you agree with with the findings? Why or why not?
http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/02/09/people-with-easy-to-pronounce-names-more-likely-to-succeed/?icid=maing-grid10|htmlws-main-bb|dl15|sec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D135234
http://www.slate.com/articles/business/the_dismal_science/2005/04/a_roshanda_by_any_other_name.single.html
http://www.freakonomics.com/2009/10/22/kevin-is-not-a-name-its-a-diagnosis/
http://www.thelocal.de/society/20090918-22019.html
35 comments:
Kelly F
I do not believe that Shakespeare was way off. I believe that it is the fundamental causation fallacy. Just because A and B happen at the same time does not mean that A caused B. If you look at the Freakonomics article the son that was named Winner ended up in jail and the son that was named Loser ended up being a successful detective. Names do not define who we are. People should not be afraid to call their children names that depict their heritage. They should be proud of where they come from and people should not discriminate against such names. Also an important point made was that socioeconomic status of the parents causes economic hardships. Unfortunately, African Americans tend to make up a large part of the people in this country and if they name their kids based on their traditions then those kids continue the cycle of being of low socioeconomic status by default, not by their names. The name has nothing to do with your success but rather where you come from.
Christian G
A name does seem to do something for someone's success. Most of the articles believed a rather easy to pronounce, not necessarily common, traditionally "white" name would lead to the most success. I personally feel the easily pronounced part is true and much of the world is rather racist so this is for the most part true. For example, articles where saying a "John Smith" would be more likely to get a job than a "Tyrone Washington". overall I wish this wasn't true, but it does seem true.
Gary k
I believe that people with easier names to pronounce names can sometimes be more successful in life. If I was an employer I know that if there are two potential employees with equal credentials I would rather hire Jason than DeShawn. The name just flows better. I completely agree with what the articles said about teachers judging students based on their names. It is unfortunate, but it is true. I am going to take all these articles into account if I ever have a child. I will give them a nice easy to say name.
yes I do agree that a name can determine whether someone is granted a job or extracted from a job. Applicants with African American-sounding names are less likely to be called back for a job interview and girls with more feminine names are less likely to pursue math and science. Also research shows that of 500 U.S. lawyers, the ones with the easiest-to-pronounce names had advanced faster and held more senior positions. This may not be a coincidence that people with easier to pronounce names are getting the more preferred job. The more difficult to pronounce the name or the more foreign a name might sound, the less likely they are to get the job. Also African American names are less likely to get the job over whiter names. Teachers are even sometimes prejudice towards the kids with unusual names, from the first day of class they are treated differently and know whether they are going to have good or bad behavior. Taking all this into account, I believe that Shakespeare was off and that a name can dictate economic success in a way. It is a combination of a bunch of things, but a name can influence a decision maker of a company greatly. I agreed with almost all the articles because they did backup their information with stories and supporting evidence.
Neema P.
The first article especially indicates a causation fallacy that assumes that just because a name and success have some sort of relationship, the former causes the latter. The article, "A Roshanda by Any Other Name" has it right when it says that the success attributed to different names is only so because names often vary based on socioeconomic circumstances. A name does not have the ability to hold you back, as show through the ironic example of Winner and Loser.
Nicholas E.
I agree with the findings because it is true that many people make judgments off of a person's name before they even know them. The progress of an interview can sometimes be based off of the first impression, and when the first impression is a negative reaction to the name Lafawnduh, then their chances don't seem so great. Also, according to Freakonomics, names that are uniquely given to African American children, such as Roshanda or Shaniqua, seem to give the impression that the applicant or person in question comes from a low-income uneducated family. These factors will certainly be put into how a person is chosen for a job. Different names receive discrimination because they are foreign or hard to pronounce, and people don't like to feel stupid or estranged. Also, certain names are automatically condemned to prejudice based off of the famous connotations associated with the name. A person named "Adolf" or "Mussolini" would certainly have some problems in finding a job or moving about socially. The negative connotations with these names would decrease the chances of being accepted merely because the names can be offensive. However, a name such as "Rick Reng," or names that sound similar and have no negative connotation, would be extremely successful because of the easiness in pronunciation and positive reactions associated with the name. I wholeheartedly believe that Mr. Reng will be going very, very, very far in life.
Tyler T.
I think that a name plays a large roll in determining the roll that one will play in society. Starting in grade school, teachers begin to judge their students based on the names that they are accompanied by. This will begin to affect their grades and start to push them on their destined paths. When it comes time to hire these students, employers will put a lot of weight on the name of their employees. I don't believe it's a racist thing, but I would definitely feel more comfortable hiring a John than a Tyrone. The name just gives me an idea of what sort of background these people may have. It's unfortunate that it has come down to this, but that's just the way it is. When I see a name like John, Jake, or Tyler (of course), I think of a very well-mannered person who is going to try very hard then they are hired. I think parents need to think more about the names that they give their children. They need to stop the whole "My child is special and precious" mindset and just give their child a reasonable name. When a parent does this, they are only harming their child and not helping them. If you want to help your children, name them Tyler.
Alex Barnes
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I think that someone's name definitely has an impact on their opportunities in life. It's easy to see why a business owner might not want to hire a customer service representative named La'Shonda or Shaniqua, although discriminating for such reasons is technically illegal. If I were given such a name, I would probably go by middle name or legally change it altogether.
I was surprised that the name "Kevin" is apparently hated in Germany, for it seems to be a fairly normal name in the United States, while Maximilian is exactly the opposite. I don't think specific names affect kids' development, unless those names are extremely unusual or creative. The difference between John and Robert doesn't make a significant difference, but having a name like "Adolf Hitler" or "Aryan Nation" will. Parents in New Jersey who chose those names for their children lost custody. Similarly, I think the children of celebrities, who often have names like "Apple" and "Blue Ivy", will have difficulty relating to others with names designed to describe humans.
Erik H.
I believe that there is some correlation between a name and the level of success achieved by the person who was given that name; however, I don't believe that there is a direct relationship between the two as posed in the articles. This is because one of the articles is based upon research done in Germany, and since the US has a much more diverse collection of names than a country like Germany it therefore cannot be determined whether or not what is a "common" name. Also, the other articles are too generalized to prove specific points; they analyze trends, not specific instances or scenarios. I believe that in the land of opportunity we can still hire someone based upon their ability, not their name.
@l3x!$ e
I think that while names can clearly have an effect on a person's life, in general it will not actually determine their success. I have no doubt that if a person with an unusual name has their mind set on doing something, they will not be stopped from doing it based on their name. I agree that a lot of times people with unusual names come from homes or parents that might not be as good as parents who will name their child a classic name. I’ve lived in Smithtown my entire life, and I’ve never met someone named Rolanda or Shanequia. People who live in nicer neighborhoods generally don’t seem to feel like they need to give their children incredibly ethnic black names. I think that’s where the correlation between names and success comes from. Rather then the name determining your situation, I think a lot of times it is more like your situation determines your name, and often how people grew up determines how they do in the rest of their life.
I agree that a name can greatly influence a persons personality and success. I do also believe that there is a direct correlation between the people who name their children these off the wall names, and their ability to parent these children. I think a big part of the statistics that show that more common named children are more likely to succeed, is that because of the poor parenting by these people who are naming their children these uncommon names. I also believe that there is still a ton of prejudice that goes on in this world today. This is proven by the study done on the lawyers, the ones with more common and easy to pronounce names became more successful than the ones with harder to pronounce and uncommon names. I think a big part of why this study came out the way it is, is because when people are sorting through applications for potential jobs, they automatically assume that someone is less qualified just because of their name.
It makes sense that people with whiter, more common, and easier to pronounce names would do better in society than those with more ethnic. Whiteness is generally associated with superior social-economic status, education and morality, whereas blackness is associated with high crime rates, drug culture and poor education.
This association, whether accurate or not, is carried over into both the workplace and the school, and individuals are stereotyped based upon their names. Our names do not define us, however, they do influence how people react to us, and this reaction creates an environment which fosters either success or degradation.
I believe that, to a certain extent, names can dictate things such as economic success. The first article discuses the effect of how easy a name is to pronounce. Our society often judges people on paper, for example on college applications or in newspaper articles, and names that are difficult to pronounce can distract the reader from the content of what they are reading. In addition, people tend to associate certain names with certain races and certain races with certain social classes. For this reason, children with ethnic-sounding names can potentially live up to the lower expectations society has for them. In addition, people may associate certain names, regardless of ethnicity or how easily they are pronounced, with certain people they have known in the past. For example, the teacher who referred to the name "Kevin" as a diagnosis may have known one or two Kevins with behavioral problems and is now pushing that negative expectation onto future students. Although names can say a lot about someone, the name is not everything. The aforementioned challanges of a poor name can be overcome. In addition, these articles may be of questionable validity because this topic has only been being researched for a short time. As more people begin testing this theory, it is possible that different findings could emerge.
Alec S.
Names clearly have some sort of impact on a person both in and out of the classroom. I always found it funny when First Day of School and substitute teacher run through their class list trying to correctly pronounce every name (here is where I try to sympathize with Giuseppe and "George"). I never thought my name would be hard to say, give that it four letters; however, people are always still inclined to refer to me as Alex.
Shakespeare (even though his actual existence is doubtful), is way off. The first impression is always the lasting one and a name on an application may say it all. Names could very well dictate some sort of economic success in the future. People with easily pronounced names tend to have better vocational success compared to other people with more ethnic or harder to say names.
I wonder if Alexander Schon would have better vocational success than Alec Schon?
As much as I'd like to say that our society is one free of prejudices, we all know that that would be a lie. Our name is the thing that follows us through life wherever we go. Granted, we can change it legally, but for the first 18 years of our lives we're restricted in this manner and, as such, we are defined by the names chosen for us. In our early years, it may have an effect on how teachers treat us and how colleges view us. In our later years, our name may evoke racial connotations, causing "DeShawn" to experience the effects of racism without his potential employer ever seeing his skin color. Names are often how people form their first opinions of us, especially if it is the only thing they know about us. A name that is common and associated with the employer's preferred race is more likely to be chosen for an interview. It is the fact that society is still racist and judgmental that gives a name its power, but that's just how it is and likely how it always will be.
Anthony A.
Society today has a definite prejudice, whether intentional or subconscious, to certain names, especially those that involve obscene length and complexity. The most interesting argument in these articles is that of Adam Alter, who suggests that a "warm glow" is associated with "things that are easy to process." I would even take this a step further to point to ego as a harbinger of name-based bias. For instance, if a teacher taking attendance for the first time easily calls out John Smith but then has to stumble foolishly over a last name like Vanderlofske or something impossibly hard to pronounce, they are made to look less credible in the eyes of some students who may unfairly question the teaching ability of someone who can't say everyone's name right. For teachers who can't swallow their pride, this can cause a strongly negative disposition towards a student based on name alone. In a world where first impressions are touted as everything, it's extremely unfair that a label that the person bearing it has no control over dictates that person's experience in many instances. While it is wholly unmerited, it is unfortunately prevalent and doesn't look as if it'll go away anytime soon.
I believe that Shakespeare was off. I really don't think that names dictate economic success, but I do think that they could have some effect on the way one may perceive someone who has an unusual or conspicuous name. For example, businesses might want to employ people with less difficult names to pronounce. And teachers as mentioned in the Freakanomics article sometimes maintain distance from and prejudice to students with "peculiar" names. Perhaps maybe that's why my first grade teacher hated me so much. This could drastically affect a kids performance and can lower their enthusiasm as well. But names are also indicators of economic well being. For example, in the same Freakanomics article it talks about how a kid born in a predominantly poor black neighborhood will have a "black" name and that kid will probably not succeed or get further in life due to poverty. So names don't really dictate economic success but they can show some economic indicators and draw prejudices from employers and teacher alike.
Thomas T.
I do not believe that names are necessarily directly related with a persons economic success. It is clear that in some worse off areas, many people will name their children what fits into that culture, and they might live a life that is not as well off as others. However, there is nothing directly stopping them from doing well in school, getting into college and becoming successful economically. In fact, you might assume that one in a not so well off area may feel more obligated to do well in order to escape that lifestyle. If names directly related to economic success then why was it that it was the child named "winner" that ended up with a long history of arrests and jail time, and the son named "loser" who ended up economically successful. It is true that names could potentially draw prejudice, from an employer, but I do not believe that this prejudice from only a small amount of the population could lead to the economic failures of those with difficult to pronounce names.
Allison B.
Although I do believe that a person’s name is a strong factor in determining a people’s first impression on him or her, a name does not define who someone is. It is inevitable that ethnic African American names are discriminated against in job interviews and may not receive as many second interviews as those with common ‘white’ names; it is overall the determination of the applicant to have the correct criteria for the job. Employers are in whole looking for the best staff to better the company after all, and if someone with a name such as Lamar has a much better resume and experience than someone with a name such Michael, it is obvious who the better choice would be. A chapter in the novel Freakonomics, Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner explain a situation with two brothers, one named Winner, the other, Loser. The chapter ironically reveals Winner ending up in prison while his brother Loser becoming a successful detective for the FBI. The moral of the chapter is that names may label people; however names do not define who people are. Yes at first sound, a name may cause the judgment of where someone came from, their ethnic and color background, etc., however after that first glance, it is up to beholder of the name to decide how he or she wants people to view him as.
Jenna P.
I think Shakespeare was on to something. In one of the articles, a man named his son Winner and he was unsuccessful in life. A person named Jamal can be as equally successful as a person named William. I do not agree with the first article that states people with easy-to-pronounce names are more successful then people who do not have easy-to-pronounce names. Success is about hard work and who you know- not your name. People should not give their children a name that represents what they want. [Like the child named Winner] He never was successful and he became an embarrassment because he could never live up to his name.
Ryan G
I believe that Shakespeare was incorrect in saying that a name has no affect on the success of a person. However, I do believe that a person with a “bad” or uncommon name can achieve success. Someone with a name that is easier to pronounce or that rolls off a tongue may get better opportunities. They may receive more call backs for a job, but they need to perform to keep that job. No matter what your name is, an employer will demand results. If they are unable to provide these results, they will be fired no matter what their name is. Next, the person with the uncommon name will be hired and if they can perform, they will be successful. I agree with parts of the studies, but I do not believe that any single study shows the whole story. When you look at the students who had uncommon names, they behaved poorly. However, you have to look at the reasons they received these names. Many children in the United States who have African American names receive them from poor, single parents. This will put this child at the disadvantage, not the name itself. Coming from a broken home has been found to lead to children acting out. Lastly, I like that study with the two children winner and loser. I have no idea why any parent would do that, but it helps to show that someone with a strange name can be successful.
Giuseppe C.
Well, this post is awkwardly potent in my case. Did you, Mr. Karmin, read your roster and think, "Hmm, immigrant child MUAHAH..."? That would be extremely offensive. I'm sure you don't do such things as you are an angel. ANYWAY, I do believe that some teachers do use first/given names as the first indicator of whether or not a student will perform well or otherwise. I'm pretty sure my Kindergarten teacher was a racist because any time something bad happened in the class I'd hear, "GIIIIUUUSEEEPPPPEEEEEEEE!". I felt really loved and motivated xoxo. Back to this post and not senseless ramblings, I do believe that businesses discriminate whom they hire for what positions based on names because, for the most part, ethnic names can tell a lot about a particular applicant. Looking at the business stand point of things, having an employee named Roquel represent your company across the world and in the boardroom may give the wrong "vibes" to potential clients/partners. I do believe that having a name like Apple, Sparkle, Bon Qui Qui, or Blanket could (and will) hurt a child's prospect of being successful in life. However, just look at our Prezdendt BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA.(Propaganda is deadly.)
I don't think that names have any effect on a person's success. I do believe the link between success and name is a correlation, not a causation. Unusual names usually have a link to poor socio-economic status and education. This leads to the failure of the children who have the unusual names, not the name itself. Children with unusual names or names more prevalent among people of lower social status may have less parental care, and as a result may cause more trouble for teachers, leading to the association that teachers make with names like "Kevin". Again, this points towards a causation, not a correlation. As shown in the case of "Winner" and "Loser", name has little to no effect on children within the same family. However, in the field of politics, an easier to pronounce name will probably be beneficial, if only because of often misguided criteria people use in determining their vote. For example, in 2010 a man named Alvin Greene was nominated as the democratic candidate for senate in South Carolina based solely on his name. He had no political organization or experience, yet beat Vic Rawl, an experienced state politician in the democratic primary, based solely on the fact that his name came first, and his name was easier to say. Examples like this show how having an easy to pronounce name can help in politics; however, it does not really matter when it comes to other fields, or economic success in general.
Lauren K
In my opinion I think that Shakespeare had it right when it came to names, that they don't dictate who you are, or what you will become. However, I believe that when looking over the course of human history, in all areas in the United States, there can be a correlation made between one's names and his/her socioeconomic standings. However, the only reason why this correlation exist is because these names are past down through generations, from family to family, who are in similar financial situations. This correlation is simply a coincidence.
Furthermore, one of the articles talked about a man who named two of his sons Winner and Loser. Now, instead of Winner becoming a "winner" in life, he's now in prison. As for Loser, he excelled in life and is now a police officer. This is a perfect example because these mens' names didn't determine what they would become.
So, a name shouldn't determine who you are, it's simply something one is called by, it should have no real effect of one's life in the future.
Kelly W
I do not believe that names dictate things such as economic success. One of the studies outlined in the articles found that people with uncommon African-American sounding names were less successful overall than those with easy to pronounce, "white" names. However, it was also found that the people with more uncommon names came from lower socioeconomic families than those with more common names. Therefore, a person's name does not dictate their ability to achieve success although it can be an indicator. The ironic story about the brothers named Winner and Loser is an example of how names do not affect a person's economic success.
Matt M.
I believe that a persons name does have an impact on ones economic sucess. From early ages children may be judged based on their names. Teachers who do not even know their futere students begin to make assumptions just based off af their name on paper. Something simialr could be said for future employeers. It seems that businesses are more reluctant to hire potential employees with more exotic names than the common names. It seems like it would be easier to do business and take somebody more seriously with a more common name. The more exotic names typically come from lower income or minority households. This may be another red flag for businesses right off the back that a person may not be as qualified for a position as a person with a name that does not tell where they come form economically or socially. So I do not believe that Shakespeare was correct with his thoughts on a persons name and the impact it has on their lives.
I believe that names can play an important role in determining the success of a person. However, I believe that names are what a person makes out of it and not a constant label of how successful a person can be. In the case of the two men named Winner and Loser, their names did not determine where they are today. They decided through their own determination, or lack of determination to have to jobs they have today. Winner is a criminal whereas Loser is a successful college graduate and police sergeant. I don’t think that names dictate economic success but they do indicate how a person is economically at the time they are born because there are some “poor” names and “black” names as indicated in Freakonomics. Also, with teacher discrimination of non-traditional names, I feel there is poor evidence of this theory at least in our school. There are plenty of kids with unique names that are very successful in school as well as kids with very common names not doing as well. I also do not believe that easy to pronounce names dictate success. I think there is a link between names that are easy to pronounce because they have been spoken by others on television or have been heard before. There are plenty of people who are successful who do not have typical easy to pronounce names. A character from the popular NBC series chuck was played by a woman with the name Yvonne Strahovski. Just looking at her last name at first makes me feel a little dizzy. In conclusion I believe that a name is what people make of it and that a name does not destine people to be greater than others.
Amy S.
Shakespeare was way off when he said this because when people hear a name for the first time, there is a certain judgment that comes along with it. They start to imagine what the person looks like, where they’re from, what kind of lifestyle they lead, and so on. Once they start judging someone based on a name, that judgment probably won’t be reversed very easily. So based on these studies, I would agree that yes, your name does have a part in your economic success. Since these findings are backed up by credible data with research using names since 1961, it does seem like this is a valid experiment with accurate results. While unfortunate, it seems as though our country has not overcome racism yet, which is proven by the fact that someone with a “white,” more traditional sounding name is more likely to get called back over someone with an unusual or “black” sounding name.
Mike K
I believe that Shakespeare was a little off. Many of these studies have the same theme, very African American names puts the people with those names in worse position than those with names that are easily pronounceable. I think this is true for any extremely ethnic names because if you can’t pronounce the persons name correctly it makes you less likely to interact with them, in turn making them less approachable. Unfortunately, there are also many different stereotypes that come with ethnic names that could also make the person worse off. I also think that despite stereotypes and pronunciation, success comes down to effort and determination not a name.
Shakespeare was very far off when he said this because when people hear a name for the first time, there is an initial prejudice involved with it. People than began to start to picture large details of the person, they imagine what the person looks like, their heritage, as well as various other aspects. Once the prejudice begins and it is solely based on a name, that judgment probably will forever weigh very heavily on the person creating the prejudice. Although, based on these studies, I would agree that yes, and no. Your name does have a potentially large influence in your economic success, but also from person experience I have seen that it can’t weigh that heavily. A name like Akram or Geries versus a name like Michael or Mary shouldn’t have to do with the socioeconomic future one has to endure.
Nick H
Unfortunately, I believe it is purely naive to think that we are living in a society void of race and gender based discrimination. Laws may speak to the contrary, however, they are pertaining to an intangible and invincible idea. According to law, men are equal to women. However, there is still a large discrepancy between the average salary of male and female workers. That being said, I feel to a certain extent your name does matter. A name is an indicator of many things: Gender(in most cases), Race, and country of origin. So yes, one might face discrimination where ones name sparked discriminatory behavior; however, it is the character, work ethic and morals that one is raised on that will be the indicator of success in life. While a name might be an obstacle, it pails in comparison to the ladder.
*I know you will most likely read this tomorrow morning, I apologize.
I feel that Shakespeare was not way off with his view on the importance of names. With people, something out of their control, such as a name does not bind them to an unshakable destiny. Throughout history, many a person that shared their name with countless others before and after them experienced their own unique lives, some having more or less success than the others. Granted, in this day and age, it may seem to some that someone with a name like Roshanda, due to their abstract name, will face scrutiny and not enjoy the same degree of success than someone say, Mary.
A reasoned counter to that viewpoint is depicted through that of the incredible triumph of many athletes in the world of professional sports today. One such example can be seen in the NFL franchise New York Jets. If one was to examine the active roster for the offensive line in the 2011 season of this team, they will come across names such as Tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Center Nick Mangold. Two very different names, yet both were first round draft picks by the Jets in 2006 and named members of the Pro Bowl roster in the 2011 season, the latter in which is an incredible achievement in its own right. So prejudices may ensue for some, but as D'Brickashaw, Nick and many other people in the competitive world we live in, work ethic, not your name, is shown to be a greater determining factor in the path of one's life, begging the notion that many other factors carry heavier influence as well.
Craig M.
From the day you’re born, the name given to you can play a roll in your life. Parents tend to give some babies abstract names, which may raise eyebrows. In our society, many people care about the way others perceive them, and some names may be viewed negatively. People who tend to have the most unheard of names, are economically challenged of African decent. Names that are hard to pronounce such as Mogbekeleoluwa, are put at a disadvantage throughout their life. Their name is most likely to be mispronounced in school by teachers. The correcting of your name constantly may have a negative effect on the child and be embarrassing. The name given to you by your parents can have an effective on your future success if your name is unique or hard to pronounce.
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