As the nation tries to predict the name that Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds will choose for their new arrival, research conducted amongst British parents, teachers and children, has revealed that the choice of name for a child can have a big impact on how they are perceived, and even their chances of success.
In fact, stereotypes are formed from a very young age indeed, with children and adults quick to make judgements about children based on their first name alone.
The research found that boys named Jack are the most likely to misbehave, with almost a quarter of those researched agreeing that this is the UK’s naughtiest name. It seems that bad behaviour is also closely connected to intellect, with those named Jack also expected to be the least intelligent.
By contrast, boys named James and Thomas are most frequently found at top universities and children named George are considered to be the brightest, with over one in 10 claiming that this is the most intellectual name of all of those included in 2019’s top baby names list. George is also associated with kindness, with both teachers and children considering boys with this name to be kind-hearted.
A child’s name can have a significant impact on a child’s success in later life. Using data from trade bodies, university databases and court records, the company found that there are strong patterns amongst the names of Britain’s highest achievers.
David was found to be the most common name amongst the UK’s highest earners, with the name emerging top amongst millionaires. The name also appeared most amongst police officers, lawyers and MPs, including Boris’s former friend at Oxford, David Cameron, suggesting that this might be the perfect name if the Prime Minister has plans for the youngster to follow in his footsteps.
As mentioned, it’s those named James and Thomas that appear most commonly at the UK’s top universities, whilst Steve and Peter are the top names amongst men leading FTSE 100 companies.
John is the most common name amongst doctors, with 500 more registered doctors named John than any other name in Britain. However, the PM should proceed with caution when considering this name, as it is also the most common names amongst criminals in the UK.
Men named William are most likely to be creative types, often becoming artists and authors; whereas those called Chris are the sportiest in the country, with this name appearing frequently amongst British Olympians, Sir Chris Hoy being a prime example.
A child’s name can have a genuine influence on their future path, with strong patterns emerging amongst the names of those in certain careers. This can make the process of naming a child daunting, but we’re sure it’s a challenge that the Prime Minister will take in his stride. We can’t wait to find out what the new arrival is called!
