By Shelley Luedtke
It's an exciting moment when parents announce the arrival of a baby. The first piece of information offered is typically the gender, followed by health status for mom and baby, and then, if it has been chosen, the baby's name.
Saskatchewan Health released a list of most popular baby names for 2018. Topping the list for girls in this province is Olivia and for boys, Liam. Some names made their debut on the list including Ellie, Ivy, Ryker, Emmett and Elijah.
There's something daunting about naming a child, but can your name affect your life? This has been an area of research for decades and while there are variances, some findings appear consistent. Names that are easy to pronounce correlate with likability and the chance of being hired. Using a middle name or initial results in perceptions that the person is more intelligent and successful.
A 2009 study, hotly debated, traced a relationship between a child's first name and juvenile criminal behavior. While researchers didn't state the name led to the behavior, they documented a link wondering if unpopular names may be treated differently by peers making it more difficult to form relationships.
What about our last name? Research involving 90,000 European students found that when presenting similar test scores, those with last names closer to the top of the alphabet were more likely to be admitted. A separate study claims that those with last names closer to the end of the alphabet are more likely to be impulse spenders. It is suggested that being at the end of the alphabet through years of school may make someone want to jump at opportunities before they miss their chance.
There might be real advantages to having an uncommon name though. The reality that people share a name has resulted in harsh consequences like erroneously being placed on no-fly lists, having government benefits cancelled, or being the target of unsolicited attention. Some analysts believe this is impacting name selection because some parents want to ensure they give their child a unique Google legacy.
Of course the name we are given at birth isn't necessarily the one we carry through life. Peter Hernandez changed his to Bruno Mars, Demetria Guynes became Demi Moore and Mark Sinclair Vincent is Vin Diesel. Does it make a difference? Would Dana Owens have been as successful if she hadn't changed her name to Queen Latifah? Would the same roles have been offered to Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra as they were to Meg Ryan? Do we perceive an artist, or their abilities, differently based on a name? I hope talent, ingenuity and work ethic surpass any influence of a name but the list of those who made changes is long so they must feel their acceptance in the industry would be impacted.
We may not be able to prevent the assumptions others make based on our names, but we do have the capacity and influence to help determine whose names get elevated to fame and notoriety, and those who don't. It often comesdown towhat we buy, what we watch and who we talk about, and it should make us question why some become household names while others, who may have a much greater impact on us, remain rather anonymous.
I regret I know the names of mass shooters, celebrities who won't put a sentence together without cursing, or personalities who have made a fortune from bad behavior, yet not the ones driving food trucks in famine-ravaged countries, or the scientists studying dementia, or the officers protecting our towns and cities. Then again, the people who do these things typically aren't looking for recognition in the first place. It's about serving their community, contributing to something bigger or doing what they can to better the life of others. They are less concerned about making a name for themselves than making gains on behalf of someone else.
Perhaps we can't control what might be said about our name but we certainly play a role in who will become the big names of tomorrow. As we do, let's ensure we are also recognizing those who are making a name in a way that makes a difference. That's my outlook.
