We all want our kids to lead happy, full and successful lives – whatever it is that success means to you – and to them.
But while we all realise that giving them love, stability, safety and schooling all play a part in getting them there, did you know the name you bestow upon them can also play a part? It’s true.
Albert Mehrabian, a professor at UCLA and author of The Perfect Baby Handbook: A Guide for Excessively Motivated Parents has identified 20 names associated with success. In short, his research involved presenting thousands of people with thousands of first names, then asking what characteristics the participants thought people with those first names would have.
The idea being that by choosing a name people already associate with success, you’re giving your baby an advantage by using people’s existing biases in their favour. Sounds weird? Well, it might just work.
Here are 20 names Mehrabian identified as ‘successful’
Girls:
- Jacqueline
- Morgan
- Elizabeth
- Katherine
- Victoria
- Lauraine
- Susan
- Catherine
- Kate
- Madeleine
Boys:
- Steven
- Ross
- Christopher
- James
- Robert
- David
- Kenneth
- Parker
- Thomas
- Madison
