Implications of your name

When I was born my parents were originally intending to name me Christian or Jacob. They liked these names for a variety of reasons. But, they decided these names might have strong religious implications. There were other names too. As new parents, they worried a great deal about what others first impressions would be when they heard my name. I guess all parents do. Ultimately, they named me after my father.

Marianne Bertrand, a researcher who teaches at University of Chicago, has done research on the implications of our names. More specifically, she has looked at how particular names can hurt your chances, or give you an edge, when it comes to looking for work. The results of her research showed that names that sounded ethnic tended to be discriminated against. In her research, she found that job candidates with ethnic names were contacted less frequently than other candidates.