What's in a name?

[Insp. Clue!So?]

Possibly a great deal:

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"Parents are being warned to think long and hard when
choosing names for their babies as research has discovered
that girls who are given very feminine names, such as Anna,
Emma or Elizabeth, are less likely to study maths or physics
after the age of 16, a remarkable study has found.

Both subjects, which are traditionally seen as predominantly
male, are far more popular among girls with names such as
Abigail, Lauren and Ashley, which have been judged as less
feminine in a linguistic test. The effect is so strong that
parents can set twin daughters off on completely different
career paths simply by calling them Isabella and Alex, names
at either end of the spectrum. A study of 1,000 pairs of
sisters in the US found that Alex was twice as likely as her
twin to take maths or science at a higher level.

Part of the reason is that names provide a powerful image of
a person and influence people's reactions to them. An
Isabella is less likely to study maths, according to the
theory, because people would not expect her to.

...

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2068023,00.html

[thylacine]

The first name that springs to mind is Emmy Noether.

[Phil153]

Interesting stuff, though I question the validity of the research.

My own anecdote: I spent a couple of years traveling and working in resorts doing reception, waiting, and bar work. I often wore name tags and sometimes had to get a temporary replacement when I lost mine. It was amazing how differently customers react to you based on a name tag. Tags with unusual or names like "Nigel" caused people to be less open. I wore the tag "Peter" for a couple of days and was surprised by how much more friendly people were - I was often called by my name when first greeting someone in reception, and greetings were returned in a more friendly manner. I guess it's such a blokey, friendly, recognizable name that people react positively to it.

[NeBlis]

I worked on a ski resort and for a while wore a tag with Jesus on it. Since I am a white guy people would always ask me if it was "jee-sus" or "hey-zus" I always said. "I prefer lord and master"

[MegaloMialo]

"Part of the reason is that names provide a powerful image of a person and influence people's reactions to them. An
Isabella is less likely to study maths, according to the
theory, because people would not expect her to".

So we allow other people to create our destiny based on what they think and expect from us depending on our name.
So sad if this is true even in very few cases.

[Olof]

How old are children usually when they get christened in the UK/US? I read somewhere (don't have the book at home) that there are general behavioral differences between male and female infants, and I'm thinking that the perceived 'masculinity' of these differences might perhaps have an influence on what name the parents decide on.

[Duke]

[ QUOTE ]
How old are children usually when they get christened in the UK/US? I read somewhere (don't have the book at home) that there are general behavioral differences between male and female infants, and I'm thinking that the perceived 'masculinity' of these differences might perhaps have an influence on what name the parents decide on.

[/ QUOTE ]

We don't have a third-world infant mortality rate, so we name them before they pop out. To answer your question: Zero.