Today I got a new accountant… I had two recommendations, and I contacted the person with the better name. [name]Victoria[/name] Brush (as opposed to [name]Patty[/name] Frawley.) I just felt that a [name]Victoria[/name] Brush would go through my finances with a fine-tooth comb… Her name seemed so upright, so reassuringly British.
Clearly, I’ve gone namenerd-bonkers. But have you ever done something like this? Decided not to go to a dentist because his name was Dr. [name]Max[/name] [name]Payne[/name], or had a hard time taking someone seriously because their name was something like [name]Buttercup[/name]? As I’ve considered names for my future children, I haven’t really worried about what will appear most trustworthy, or most versatile in whatever professions they might choose. But this [name]Victoria[/name] Brush got me thinking.
[name]Emma[/name], you are not alone. Like the anguished middle schooler staring in the mirror asking herself “am I normal?”, you are.
I seem to do it with service industries in particular. I had the option of choosing a new stylist when I move down here, and went with [name]Araceli[/name] over [name]Jamie[/name]. I recently had to choose a medical specialist for something (personal, not work) and after scouring CVs and soliciting recommendations I had two candidates; I went with the nicer name.
I do this as well. At my high school, there was a brilliant, uber-nerdy girl named [name]Bambi[/name]. She wanted to be a doctor. And I thought, even then, that there was no way in he!! that I would ever be able to trust a Dr. [name]Bambi[/name].
Although on the flip side, I once made an appointment at my previous salon, but my normal hairdresser was not around, so they assigned me to [name]Howard[/name]. I thought, “[name]Howard[/name]? I’m not sure I want an old man is cutting my hair…” Turned out to be a 20-something Chinese guy with bleached blond hair. So, sometimes ones name-prejudice is totally off!
You’re definitely not the only one.
I tend to do it when I’m picking from a list without much additional information. [name]Do[/name] I want an appointment with [name]Rebecca[/name] or [name]Brandy[/name] at a new salon? Obviously [name]Brandy[/name] could be the best stylist in the world, but without knowing either, I’d choose [name]Rebecca[/name].
When I was looking for an OB with my first pregnancy and then a pediatrician, I looked at 3 things: insurance coverage, ratings/recommendations, and names. For my OB, I chose Dr. [name]Potter[/name] because I’m a big time [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name] fan. For my kid’s pediatrician, I chose Dr. Smart because, really, that’s just cool. Funny thing is that I’ve had great luck with choosing doctors.
That’s so funny because in my husband’s medical practice, one of the doctors has a name that means smart, and another shares his name with a well-known philosopher. I always joke that he has the smartest team in town.
I just got my haircut yesterday by a new stylist. It was nothing fancy…a little layering, bit of a fringe. The kind of cut, I’m sure, any stylist could do. But then she gave me her card, and I saw her last name. Secreto! I decided that I liked her name, and would go back again.
Yeah, I do. I’m thinking of seeing a nutritionist, and the one I’ve found this far is called [name]Raymond[/name]. It just feels wrong! And I also felt weird at the butcher yesterday, there were two guys there, one called [name]Marco[/name] and the other (wait for it) [name]Lloyd[/name]. Now, nothing wrong with [name]Lloyd[/name], but I doubt he can butcher as well as good old [name]Marco[/name].
I think it depends on what I want the person for. If I were looking for a doctor I’d go to [name]Edward[/name] or [name]Henry[/name] but not [name]Otis[/name] or [name]Bodhi[/name] (even though I love all 4 names). If I wanted a mechanic then I’d choose [name]Otis[/name]; if I wanted a personal trainer I’d want [name]Bodhi[/name]
I actually never though of what people would think of my child’s name on paper. While [name]Fox[/name] maybe fine as a nutritionist would anyone want her as their lawyer? I hate to admit it but if my freedom was on the line and I had a choice between [name]Fox[/name] and [name]Catherine[/name], I think [name]Catherine[/name] would be my lawyer
[name]Bambi[/name], Dr Blood, Dr Smart - good ones. [name]One[/name] of my docs is Dr Hu. Makes me smile every time I say it.
And hairdressers [name]Araceli[/name], [name]Rebecca[/name], and [name]Howard[/name]. Mine is [name]Fran[/name]çois. I think [name]Howie[/name] needs a stylist pseudonym. Maybe just the initial H.
Seems like doctors and stylists get a lot of scrutiny. I would trust a doctor named [name]Howard[/name], but a stylist named [name]Howard[/name] might give me pause. So maybe it’s a good idea in choosing a child’s name to ask yourself, “will this work for a stylist OR a doctor?”
Rousette, interesting study. I had no idea about the history of the name [name]Portia[/name], outside of The Merchant of [name]Venice[/name]… (It was a label for all women practicing law around the turn of the last century.) And I always assumed/hoped that people were more biased toward women with more feminine names. Blast the patriarchy! Well who wouldn’t want a [name]Judge[/name] [name]Pandora[/name] and [name]Judge[/name] [name]Aphrodite[/name] (real judges from this study) in the Supreme [name]Court[/name]?
Otter, best to stick to your butcher [name]Marco[/name]. [name]Lloyd[/name] should replace his monocle and get back to his desk.
[name]Nat[/name], [name]Bodhi[/name] is the epitome of a barefoot-sneakers-wearing wheatgrass-drinking overly-tanned personal-trainer name! You nailed it.
I’ve done it! Especially when it relates to books - if I don’t like the main character’s name, I usually put it back down (unless I get advice people that say I must read the book)!
I can’t think of any specific examples where I’ve chosen someone’s work because of their name.
I work with kids, and I gotta say, I do judge parents slightly by the names they’ve given their kids. I haven’t really found any difference in behavior for kids with weird names vs. boring names, gorgeous names vs. ‘ugly’ names, but I definitely think about what led parents to choose certain names.
All the time. [name]Every[/name] book I read I judge the author based on the names they’ve chosen.
[name]One[/name] of my best friends wants to be a pediatrician. Her last name is Bonebrake.
I totally get it with the books. If I pick up a book on the shelf, I look at the names. MCs named [name]Madison[/name] or Az’Yekarienee? No, how about [name]Felicity[/name] and [name]Saskia[/name]? Unless I have any recommendations, if the plot looks vaguely the same, I’ll go with a [name]Lysander[/name] over EZeekiyal, unless it seems pivotal to the story (i.e. EZeekiyal comes from a bad neighborhood and his parents can speak English).
Well, I think you’re all crazy. If you’re going to choose something as important as a doctor based on a name, you’re insane. I know plenty of people with ‘normal’ names who are morons.
I don’t know your experiences but when I moved to a new area I didn’t have anyone to refer me to a particular doctor. I went to my insurance company’s website and looked for local doctors. There were several and there was little info listed. Did I have the time or money to personally visit every single one to decide which I liked best? No. When all you have is a name then that’s what you work with.
