Why David’s a hero among men
When tough times come – and they haven’t come much tougher than 2020 – we need heroes. Thankfully, over the past 12 months they have not been in short supply. If your Christian name is David or Jessica, maybe heroism runs in your blood, too. Here is the reason why:
DESPITE being the most challenging year in many people’s lifetime, 2020 was not been short of heroes, and new analysis has revealed that David is the most common name among this year’s most admirable characters.
From actor David Suchet and politician David Hanson who were both awarded Knight Batchelor Awards in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours List, through to David King who won gold in the 110 metre hurdles at this year’s British Athletic Championships, the name David is common among heroes from all aspects of life.
In addition to highprofile Davids, there were a host of everyday heroes of the same name who were recognised for their hard work and bravery this year. For example, British Citizens Awards were awarded to two Davids, David Gentry and David Facey, in recognition of the incredible charity work they do within their communities.
The analysis, commissioned by British name label manufacturer My Nametags (www.mynametags. com), found that the name Paul came in a close second, appearing regularly among havea-go heroes and worldrenowned names. Perhaps the highest profile of them all, Paul R. Milgrom was awarded a Nobel Prize for economic science this year, recognising his work in improving auction theory. Biker Paul Redfern won a Pride of Britain Award for leading a group of lifesaving volunteers who deliver vital blood supplies to hospitals, whilst paramedic Paul Henry was awarded the Queen’s Ambulance Medal, recognising 40 years of hard work caring for patients.
Jessica sits at third place and is the name that appears most frequently among heroines, with several women of the same name achieving incredible things throughout 2020.
The name Jessica is particularly common among sporting icons, with an incredible four Jessicas taking home medals at the 2020 British Athletics Championships, including Jessica Judd who won gold in the 5,000 metres.
Jessica is also common among community heroes.
For example, Jessica Thompson, founder of Migrateful, was recognised in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs list for her work supporting refugees to integrate and access employment via cooking classes. The name Michael joins Jessica in third place. Michael Houghton received a Nobel Prize for his role in discovering the Hepatitis C Virus and creating medicines that have saved millions of lives. Meanwhile, local lifesaver Michael Bryan was acknowledged in the Unsung Hero Awards, which recognise vital nonmedical NHS staff and volunteers, after developing an app that has successfully diagnosed more than 1,000 people with Parkinson’s disease. Katies also make a regular appearance in 2020’s list of heroes, with two being recognised at this year’s Pride of Britain Awards. Katie Holmes, a young woman with cerebral palsy, took
the Teenager of Courage award for raising money to help others suffering with the illness, while her namesake, Katie Smith, was awarded the Stephen Sutton Inspiration Award after raising thousands to help fund research into brain tumours.
The name Tom joins them in the top ten. This is due, in part, to the successes of Captain Sir Tom Moore who raised an incredible £32 million for the NHS after pledging to walk 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday. The name also appeared frequently among sporting heroes, while entertainer Tommy Steele was awarded a Knighthood for services to entertainment and charity.
Lars B. Andersen, managing director at My Nametags, said: “We know that people often come together during challenging times, and we have been heartened to see just how many people have been doing great things to help their communities and inspire the nation in 2020.
“At My Nametags, our work is centred around names, and we are always curious to identify patterns in the names we are given and the paths we go on to take in life. With traditional names remaining popular, it came as no surprise to us that names such as David, Rebecca, Paul and George appear on the heroes list. However, with a new generation of incredible heroes coming to the forefront, it is great to see some new names, such as Tom, Katie and Amelia appearing frequently among 2020’s most iconic individuals. As we move into 2021, we hope that our heroes list will provide some positivity and inspiration for the year ahead of us.”
With a new generation of incredible heroes coming to the forefront, it is great to see some new names such as Tom, Katie and Amelia appearing frequently