How your name could hold you back.

last updated 8 January 2015

Germany

Wolf Schmidt

Go ahead and blame your parents, said Wolf Schmidt in Munich’s Süddeutsche Zeitung. All your life, people have been unfairly judging you by your first name. German psychologists have just completed studies that show that “before people get to know someone, they associate his or her name with certain traits.” And in case you’re wondering, the good scientists have drawn up a list. For men, the names Dirk, Olaf, and Uwe are the worst, because they “conjure up images of someone old, ugly, and stupid.” Similarly abhorrent are the women’s names Birgit, Silke, and Simone. Small variations count. If a woman calls herself Maria, she’s seen as old, but intelligent. Were she to go by Marie instead, she’d come across as younger and prettier, if a good bit dimmer. So if you’re planning to get pregnant, “give your baby an advantage” in life by choosing a name that exudes youth, beauty, and smarts. Name your sons Alexander or Nikolas and your daughters Lea or Anna. They’ll thank you later.