What’s in a name as PM considers new baby choice
As people try to predict the name Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds will choose for their baby boy, it’s revealed names can have a big impact on how children are perceived by others, and even their chances of success.
Research carried out among British parents, teachers and children found that some names stood out in relation to certain traits.
It was seen that boys named Jack are expected to be badly behaved, while more than one in 10 claim George to be the most intellectual name in the 2019 top baby names list. George is also associated with kindness.
Using data from trade bodies, university databases and court records, the company My Nametags also found strong patterns among names of Britain’s highest achievers.
David was most common within the highest earners, emerging top among millionaires. Davids also pop up as police officers, lawyers and MPs, including Boris’s former Oxford crony David Cameron.
It’s those named James and Thomas who appear most at the UK’s top universities, whilst Steve and Peter are top names of men leading FTSE 100 companies.
There are 500 more registered doctors named John than any other name in Britain. But it is also the most common name for criminals in the UK.
Men named William are most creative, often becoming artists and authors; whereas a Chris is set to be sportiest, with the name appearing frequently among British Olympians, Sir Chris Hoy a prime example.
Lars B Andersen, MD at My Nametags, said: “We have a huge amount of insight into current trends and opinions around baby names. We were interested to discover stereotypes are formed from a very young age, with children and adults quick to make judgements about children based on their first name alone. The research suggested a child’s name can have a genuine influence on their future path. We’re sure it’s a challenge the Prime Minister will take in his stride.”