How Your Name Impacts Your Life

There may be more to names than we previously knew. This news is thanks to four recent studies on names linking the relationship people have with their names. One of the study leaders, Miguel Brendl said, “It’s a bizarre idea, but your liking for the letters of your name, which is really driven by your liking for yourself, might spill over to objects and influence your choices.”

From this they deduce that your name can influence everything from your career choice to your favorite candy bar. For example, people with the name Dennis are over-represented as dentists and Marshas will typically prefer a Mars bar over a Snicker’s bar. (Hmmm, this must explain my previous preoccupation with M&Ms…before I became vegan).

Dr. David Holmes, psychologist at Manchester Metropolitan University, shares a different explanation for the phenomena. He explains, “We see people with certain names differently, which in turn can affect how we treat them. This may affect various factors like longevity, health and how they move through life.”

Either way, if  Judy’s become judges, Craig’s prefer Coke, and Louise’s prefers to live in Louisiana, it means there is a lot more to our names than we ever realized before. So all you Patricia’s trying to make a break from Peppermint Patties, it might be time for a name change!