You might think that your name doesn’t matter. But research suggests something different. Apparently, it can affect what professions we choose, where we live, who our partners are, how we invest our money, whether a recruiter wants to hire us, and even if we donate money to charity.
If names are so important, then parents must spend more than a couple of minutes on them for their babies, right? This Facebook group is proof that not every parent does so. The community “That name isn’t a tragedeigh, it’s a murghdyrr” has been going strong since the pandemic. But there’s never a shortage of, hmm, let’s say, interesting names to feature. So check out our newest selection from the page below!
More info: Facebook
#1 Wait.. Hold On A Second.. ?
Image credits: Musicnotes
#2 ?
Image credits: Kailynne Crawford
#3 Does This Count? ??
Image credits: Travis Lobmier
It's funny to laugh at and mock these names, but let's think for a moment: some kids have to live with these names. Granted, you can always legally change your name; it's not that big of a deal. However, the scientific evidence behind how different lives are for people with unusual names is quite fascinating.
A research paper from 1966 analyzed the impact of unusual names on children. The study found that children with less popular names were less popular themselves in grade school.
Many subsequent studies investigated the racial aspect of this. And, surprise, surprise, they found that children with Black-sounding or Asian-sounding names said teachers and students treated them differently.
#4 Hi. Long Time Listener, First Time Caller. Here’s My Submission. I’ve Been Holding On To This For A While
Image credits: Kristen Dees Robinson
#5 Why Use 6(Ish) Letters When You Can Use 10? ?
Image credits: Connor LW
#6 I Wasn't Truly Aware Of The "Leigh" Crisis Until After Joining This Group
Image credits: Taylyn Le Grave
There is also research about how people with uncommon names have more difficulty finding a romantic partner. One study found that "unattractive" and unpopular names can lead to rejection. That, in turn, leads people with unfortunate names to have lower self-esteem, less education, and be more frequent smokers.
In 2004, Marianne Bertrand and Sendhil Mullainathan conducted research to find out whether some names are more employable than others. The factor that they concentrated on was race.
They sent out resumes with "White-sounding names" and "Black-sounding names." Perhaps there's little surprise (again) that the Emilys and Gregs got more interest from potential employers than Lakeishas and Jamals.
#7 Saw This Today!
Image credits: Rogue Pethick
#8 Kolorfullee… Do You Think It’s Pronounced Like “Colorful” Or “Color Fully” Or “Colorful- Lee”
Image credits: Jazman Alvarez
#9 I Finally Have One!! ?
Image credits: Jessica Bartos
Swedish researchers found a similar bias with immigrant names. Those who changed their names from Slavic, Asian, or African names apparently earned 26% more than those who kept their names.
Another interesting study comes from Germany. These researchers found that people with names that sound regal and fancy, like Kaiser, König, or Fürst (emperor, king, and prince, respectively), are more likely to be in managing positions than people with mundane names like Koch, Bauer, or Becker (cook, farmer, baker).
#10 My Lyft Driver…?
Image credits: Erica Streeter
#11 Just Saw This In Another Group. I Thought Maybe Her Last Name Was Time
Image credits: MaryAnn Graves
#12 Charlie Sturrock
Image credits: Dottie Hines
The phenomenon of why we like some names more than others is the 'implicit-egotism effect.' It's the tendency for people to "gravitate toward people, places, and things that resemble the self." Some studies even suggest that we act more altruistically to people who have similar names to ours!
#13 Yeah… That Tracks That The Mom Of Jubilee Sunflower Fern Wants To Get Her Pet Badger Because A Cat Or Dog Is Too Normal
Image credits: Stephanie Ragsdale
#14 Not Sure How To Pronounce This?!
Image credits: Kyla Marie Adkins
#15 Blakeley
Image credits: Malakai Jones
Psychologist Uri Simonsohn, however, has debunked this theory. He said that just because there are many doctors named Dan doesn't mean that the name automatically guarantees that a child will become a doctor. It might simply mean that there are many doctors named Dan because Dan is a very popular and common name.
#16 Ikyfl, Ain’t No Way They Did That Baby Like That…
Image credits: Emmaleigh Joi
#17 A Lot To Unpack Here
Image credits: Ivy A Garland
#18 I Can Finally Contribute!! Found These In A Name Suggestion Group On People Asking About “Outdoorsy” Names
Image credits: Brooke Brown
Those of us with unusual names know what it's like to be an outcast in the playground. I include myself in this group because I can't count the times people called me 'Caroline,' 'Catherine,' or 'Victoria' (that one's interesting; it doesn't really sound like my name at all) – anything but.
#19 Saw This One On My Feed Today
Image credits: Kris Scott
#20 Blessleigh Mae Your Heart
Image credits: Tammy Rainey
#21 In My Due Date Group. Why Do People Name Their Babies As If They'll Never Grow Up Into Adults?
Image credits: Kimi Austin
When I was learning Arabic (quite unsuccessfully, I might add) during my Bachelor's years, we had to find out the meaning of our names so that we'd know the equivalent in Arabic. I remember finding something about a Cornelian cherry, but now that I look it up, it says the meaning behind the name is 'horn.' Whether that's better or worse, I'll leave it up to you to decide.
#22 Hmmm
Image credits: Chelsea Leann
#23 Atrocious Spelling And Some Boy Names Just Don’t Make Good Girl Names
Image credits: Kim Tarver
#24 Found In The Wild Courtesy Of Facebook Dating
Image credits: Christine Houghton
For future reference, fellow Pandas, the English version of 'Kornelija' would be 'Cornelia.' It's that pesky Eastern European soft /j/ that always confuses people. I hated my name when I was young precisely for the reason that it was different; it did, in fact, single me out when socializing with other kids.
#25 U Can't Make This Stuff Up....i Mean Clearly Someone Could, Just Not Me
Image credits: Nicole Norris-Grimes
#26 Ideas For Your Next Child ❤️ Credit @midtemporocker
Image credits: Jeppson's Malort
#27 Bristol Is A Town In Tn. Brystoll Is A Tragedeigh
Image credits: Alyse Woodlee
And I was angry at my mother: why couldn't she just give me a nice, short, common name? The only person with a similar name I knew growing up was Cornelius Fudge from Harry Potter. However, all of us three siblings have four-syllable names, so I just learned to embrace it over time.
#28 A Name I Just Seen On My Works Roster... Sckilar
Image credits: Sierra Phillips
#29 My BF Just Said “Capri Like Capri Sun?” Like That’s Not Even The Worst On There
Image credits: Madison Michelle Martin
#30 Funny
Image credits: Lia Pearce
I've also never had a Starbucks barista write my name correctly on the cup. The most memorable ones include 'Ornelia,' 'Cornila,' and 'Ornealia.' But that's probably a common issue, wouldn't you say? There's even a website "What's My Starbucks Name?" where you can enter your name, and it predicts the way a barista might spell it in a real Starbucks.
