Name tag image via Shutterstock
As Juliet bemoans the grudge her family has against Romeo’s based on their names, she says, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Apparently, there’s a lot more in a name than Juliet thought—especially if your name is Mandy or Kevin. A study finds that people with these names—and other “bad” names—are unpopular on dating sites and tend to have poorer self esteem, are lonelier, are less intelligent, and even smoke more.
Researchers from Duke University, Humboldt University, and Max Planck Research School created several experiments using the European dating website, eDarling. In one, the researchers sent an email to 12,000 members. The messages featured matches that exactly mirrored the criteria of each dater and included a person’s name, age, and location. Because all the other details were identical to what each dater was looking for, their rejections were based on names only. The researchers discovered that people prefer being alone than being with someone with an unbecoming name.
In a second trial, the researchers sent emails without photos to 47,000 German daters. Names like Alexander and Charlotte carried more valence (read: seemed sexier), and these profiles received 102 percent more views than people with less sexy names. Then the researchers compared names to teacher assessments of students and found that those with unattractive names acted more quarrelsome and performed poorly in school, causing the researchers to propose named-based life histories, which include neglect, discrimination, prejudice, and ostracism.
“Supporting this argument, neglect mediated the relation between negative names and lower self-esteem, more frequent smoking, and less education. These results are consistent with the name-based interpersonal neglect hypothesis: Negative names evoke negative interpersonal reactions, which in turn influence people’s life outcomes for the worse,” the authors wrote in the paper published in the journal Social Psychological & Personality Science.
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“Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die”
I suppose soon-to-be parents are going to be wanting the list…
posted by Joe on 1-24-2012 at 2:56 pm
So where’s the list of “bad” names?
posted by Nick on 1-24-2012 at 3:01 pm
You should probably be careful taking advice from German daters.
posted by Bert on 1-24-2012 at 3:13 pm
so what’s the list of bad names? and conversely, “sexy” names?
posted by araminta on 1-24-2012 at 3:16 pm
Well this is a tease, the article cost $35 to read. So if I want to know the bad names I have to spend good money? Seems like Mandy and Kevin are crying all the way to the bank.
posted by Guy on 1-24-2012 at 3:40 pm
I’ve read the research on the difference between “white-sounding” and “black-sounding” names, but “bad” names in general is a new one. Is this a cultural thing about those particular names, because when I originally read the four names they mentioned, I don’t think I had any sort of positive or negative reaction?
posted by Matt on 1-24-2012 at 3:40 pm
Hey, now — being the arrogant, handsome, and totally humble guy that I am, I say that this study is crap.
Kevins and Mandys of the world, UNITE!
posted by Kevin on 1-24-2012 at 3:50 pm
I have a few more examples of bad names and an explanation of why Kevin is so unpopular with Germans.
Germans (and perhaps all Europeans) dislike the name Kevin because they associate it with Kevin Costner and Kevin McAllister, from Home Alone, and the latter Kevin makes them believe Kevins are not very bright.
Other bad names include: Marvin, Justin, Kevin, Mandy, Chantal, Jacqueline, and Celina.
If I receive any more bad names from the researchers, I’ll let you know.
posted by Meghan Holohan on 1-24-2012 at 4:11 pm
Hogwash. I know plenty of Mandy’s and Kevin’s and there isn’t anything wrong with them that doesn’t befall “other” people.
My name is Heather. Most Heather’s are portrayed as bleached bimbos. I am neither. My name is just that–my name.
(Although my dad admits Heather Locklear was his inspiration for naming me… LOL)…
posted by Heather on 1-24-2012 at 4:20 pm
to paraphrase michael bolton from office space, “there WAS nothing wrong with the name Jared… until that no talent @ssclown started eating sandwiches and lost weight.”
posted by theYerg on 1-24-2012 at 4:23 pm
In middle school, our reports for our (required) science fair projects couldn’t have a name on them, and the name was blacked out if there was. Mainly to avoid this very problem.
“Bad” names hurt a person most when we’ve got nothing else to go on. I know lots of wonderful people with names I’d never give a child, and plenty of annoying or mediocre people with nice names. And it’s possible to upend a stereotype with just one person. I think “Salma” is an unattractive name, but people who associate it with Salma Hayek may disagree.
posted by Andrea on 1-24-2012 at 4:51 pm
I think the worst name is “Ima”, especially if you last name is not too flattering.
posted by Jeffrey on 1-24-2012 at 5:01 pm
@ Joe – Funny! I was just thinking that. I have a shirt with a “Hello my name is Inigo Montoya…” name tag on it. My brother and I each (unwittingly) got it for the other as a present for the holidays.
I also found it irritating that the link led to a paid article.
posted by Nerak on 1-24-2012 at 5:46 pm
I saw the headline and thought, “Maybe not all my problems, but having a funny name sure got me in trouble with Google+.”
posted by Miss Cellania on 1-24-2012 at 5:57 pm
As a teacher, when it came time to select a name for our daughter, we had a tough time. There were so many names that brought back memories of “bad” students.
posted by gewurz on 1-24-2012 at 6:27 pm
I love the name Kevin!
posted by PMac on 1-24-2012 at 7:06 pm
Does this explain the uninhibited nature of every girl I ever met named Heather, Angel, or Roxie?
posted by dagnabbit on 1-24-2012 at 7:55 pm
I don’t think your name is your destiny, but having a name often associated with strippers has been trying at times. When my husband first mentioned to his mother that his new girlfriend’s name was Candi, she scoffed, assuming the worst. ; )
posted by Candi on 1-24-2012 at 9:06 pm
@gewurz – I had the same problem! Many of the names my husband suggested I associated with students I had whose redeeming qualities were few & far between. We ended up naming our kids after our fathers & grandfathers – at least that way, we had pleasant associations for their names!
posted by Jenny on 1-24-2012 at 9:47 pm
My name is uncommon and easily misheard as a handful of other more common names; I’m convinced this has been a hurdle for me when meeting people for the first time. Most people aren’t sure of my name when they hear it so they avoid saying it or addressing me all together! Or if they mistakenly call me a similar sounding name, they get needlessly embarrassed and uncomfortable when eventually corrected. That’s the worst, that people get so upset with themselves about not getting my name right and defensive because they think they offended me, when I couldn’t care less!
It’s hard to make a good first impression when people can’t even get past your name without feeling awkward. I’d much rather have a name people recognize as “unsexy” than one that makes people cranky and avoid talking to me.
posted by Kaylyn on 1-24-2012 at 11:01 pm
The results of this study have been widely discussed in Germany. The given examples “Mandy” and “Kevin” don’t make too much sense when you’re not German. Those names are/were in Germany usually only given to their children by less educated parents (at least that’s the common opinion). Why? Because some years back English/US-American names were considered “cool” (especially in the former GDR – you can surely guess why) and people thought of their favorite Hollywood-actor etc. but never thought of what they did to their children by giving them those – for a German speaking community – then “exotic” names.
posted by German on 1-25-2012 at 6:21 am
I always thought that having an awful name would affect your ability to get hired/have a good job/whatever.
I mean who would want to hire someone named “Macadorina?” (totally made up name right now, on the spot…my apologies to anyone named as such…really, my most sincere apologies)
Anyways, you wouldn’t believe the crazy names of some of the people I work with. And it seems like the crazier the name, the more likely you are to get promoted.
Then again, I have no idea what their dating lives are like.
posted by Lola on 1-25-2012 at 12:24 pm
Bobwehadababyitsaboy
posted by A on 1-25-2012 at 1:06 pm