|
LONDON: People called James or Elizabeth are
perceived as likely to be the most successful, while Ryan and Sophie
are seen as the most attractive, according to a British poll
Tuesday.
Jack and Lucy are seen as the
luckiest, according to a poll based on asking more than 6,000 people
for their perceptions of different names and the kind of people
likely to have them.
At the other end of the scale,
Lisa and Brian were seen as the least successful, Helen and John as
the least lucky, and Ann and George as the most unattractive,
according to the poll commissioned by a British academic.
“Past research has shown that
such perceptions can become self-fulfilling prophecies, with
teachers giving higher marks to children with attractive names and
employers being more likely to promote those who sound
successful,” said the authors of the poll.
As well as mainstream names,
psychologist Richard Wiseman of the University of Hertfordshire also
found that unusual names people give their children could also have
a big influence on how they are perceived.
“Attractive female names tended
to be soft-sounding and end with the ‘ee’ sound, whereas the
sexiest male names are short and much harder sounding,” he said,
adding that names with royal links are seen as successful or clever.
-AFP
|
