How important is your name?
Where did it come from? What does
it say about you? Would it be hard to
believe your life course may be set by your family surname or by the first
decision made for you when you were born?
Research has shown based on your name, you may be predisposed to choose
a certain profession.
Our names are held sacred.
Being a person with an alternative spelling for my first name, I am
hyper-sensitive to people pronouncing and spelling it correctly. Additionally, I am overcome with
embarrassment if I mispronounce or misspell anyone’s name. It is something we own and something we are
proud of. It is the first thing we are
given and it stays with us wherever we go.
Your name can have a significant impact on those you meet
even before you open your mouth. Most
often unfairly, you are judged by your name.
Researchers have polled employers on their impressions of potential
candidates based solely on their name.
The name “John” for instance, creates the impression of someone who is wholesome
and dependable.
In addition to creating an immediate impression, your name
may also indicate your future career choice.
A Wall Street Journal article from June 21, 2011 cites a controversial
study conducted by State University of New York in Buffalo which claims people
are more likely to choose a profession with names that are similar the their
own. While this may seem preposterous,
it is hard to argue with:
Dr. Douglas Hart – cardiologist
Sue Yoo – lawyer
Cory Greathouse – realtor
Patricia Boguslawski – lawyer
Dr. Payne – orthodontist
Even if your name does not have to do with your profession,
it may provide you advantages in other ways.
Simply ask Mr. Will Wynn, winner of the Austin, TX mayoral campaign from
2003 through 2009 if you would like additional evidence.
Where did you get your name? Based on your name, what would be your ideal
profession? Regardless of name, what do
you want to do professionally in the future?
My parents just liked the name Grace. At the time, they didn't know any other Graces. Now it's a really common name. :-( Gonzalez came from my dad's dad. He came to America from Puerto Rico, and his grandparents came from Spain. Apparently Gonzalez is the second most common surname in Spain. I think my ideal profession based on my name would be an Olympic runner because of the cartoon character Speedy Gonzales (except I hate running and the Gonzalez surname from Spain is spelled with a z instead of an s). I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up. There are so many options, and my dreams have changed many times over the years. I have a lot of dream jobs that are kind of unrealistic, such as being an author or artist. I don't think those really work for full-time jobs. I kind of want to work at Make-A-Wish as a creative director of some-sort. I've seen the amazing effects of Make-A-Wish first hand, and I want to be a part of that. I want to be the person who comes up with ideas for wishes that are not possible or just preposterous. For example, I have a friend with a brother who had cancer (he just finished treatment last year--yay!). His wish was to fly to the moon. Obviously, that couldn't happen. Instead, Make-A-Wish sent him and his family to a space center in Florida. He did all these simulations of what it would feel like in a real space shuttle and learned a ton about space. I would come up with ideas like that to make even the craziest wishes come true.
ReplyDeleteMy craziest wish is for it to rain tacos
DeleteMy parents just liked the name Patrick. My middle name came from my moms dad. My last name from a bunch of crazy Cuban families and eventually to us. I have no idea what profession I will have based on my name. I have met a couple Patrick and were are not very much alike. I guess my name means that I will be some sort of doctor lawyer type thing. My last name at least. Patrick doesn't really mean anything to me based on my future. I guess I would want to be working some job that helps people while simultaneously does something on the business level. Maybe like a... I don't know. I haven't really been exposed to all the possible options of what I could be. I always wanted to be a firefighter of a veterinarian when I was little but I have no idea.. Hopefully something good.
ReplyDeleteI got my name straight from my dad, hence I am a JR. My surname... Well, I guess that it is my great Grandmother's last name. My dad didn't take his parent's surname, so he took his grandmother's. Well, I guess that since my last name is Oliver then I guess an olive farmer. I really wouldn't want to do that, but that is really the only occupation that I can currently think of that is close to my name. We even have an olive oil in our kitchen right now that is called "Oliver's", and a few of my friends have thought that we owned the company. But we don't. I think that my dream occupation really varies. I think that I really would like to be a computer or mechanical engineer, but I would also like to be an astrophysicist. Just kidding, that is not for me. No theories for this guy.
ReplyDeleteI think I got my name from my old neighbors daughter. I think she was a doctor and my parents just liked the name. Well according to a quick google search on the name Prehn it seems like we're all doctors or scientists. There's also a mineral called prehnite which is the fist mineral to be named after a person so that's pretty cool. So I guessed based off my name I'd be a doctor or a scientist?
ReplyDeleteAll of my life my career choices have changed a lot. From a vet to a marine biologist to a doctor, so I'm not really sure what I want to do yet...
Your name sounds like someone who would start a revolution
DeleteAfter asking my Dad (I probably should have asked Mom), they wanted to name me something unique but not made up. So, after watching Star Trek, there was a Borg or something whose Earth name was Nikita, and there was also the TV show "La Femme Nikita", I guess they just thought that it was a good name and that's why I'm named Niktia (told you I should've asked my mom). On the plus side, in Russia it means "victory of the people" or "victorious" and people with this name tend to be strong independent people who want to lead instead of follow, and are also very attractive (-; Also, in a lot of countries it's a common male name.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, everyone always says that it sounds like I should be a Russian spy or assassin type thing, but after looking up a bunch of people with the name and their professions, it doesn't seem like they follow a pattern. A number of them owned large business, some were writers, others own other practices, and still some are professional banker people. So, I don't really know what I want to do, but since the other Nikitas of the world don't follow a pattern, it sounds like I can do whatever I want. Maybe I'll go train unicorns in a castle as as my job....
My name I have no idea where it came from. All I know is they get the spelling of Hayley from the actor Hayley Mills (original parent trap). I think they just liked the name so they used it. Most of the Brandeckers pulled up on Google where doctors. Doesn't surprise me because most of my family are doctors or psychiatrists. When I grow up I guess it sort of follows the Brandecker name because I want to be a vet when I grow up.
ReplyDeleteNate- I got my name, Nathaniel, from the apostle of Jesus named Nathaniel (he also goes by the name of Bartholomew), so my name is Hebrew. Uh, does that mean my profession should be that of a monk? I am not well suited for that... My ideal profession lies somewhere out there in the confusing, large, and intimidating field of computer science. I think that I am well capable of being a computer scientist/programmer, but it will take a little work.
ReplyDeleteMy name, Adriana, has been passed down through many generations in my family. I got my name from my great-great- grandmother named Adriana on my mom's side. On my dad's side my name came from my great- granfather and my uncle, both named Adrian. On top of that my middle name, Rose, is my great- grandmother's first name on my mom's side. Based on my name, my ideal profession would definitley be a fruit producer. No just kidding, I have no idea. I haven't really thought about what I want to be when I grow up. I mean when you are little girls always want to become teachers, but now that I'm older I've decided that teaching is not really my forte.
ReplyDeleteMy parents just liked the name Natalie, and they wanted their twins names to start with the same letter. They were debating over Tessa and Tucker, Gabriel and Gabriella and Natalie and Nate, so thank goodness they picked the last one. The name Mesplay comes from a French background. There was an old folktale about two babies found under a mesplé tree, and the two were named after the tree. The name took many different forms, and eventually turned into Mesplay when some descendants immigrated to America. The story has been passed down for generations, so I thought I'd put it down. I have no clue what ideal profession I would have. It's not a name like Sue Yoo, that's for sure. As for what I want to do when I grow up, I think I want to have a job that has something to do with science.
ReplyDeleteI don't know where i got my name from, but I think it is just a name that my parents liked. I don't really like it though because every time someone says just or just in I always think that they are talking to me. I don't really know what profession would go with my last name, so lets just say I'll be a basketball player. In the future I plan on pursuing my dream of being a basketball player. I know that it would take a lot of hard work and sacrifice but I am dedicated to it. Even if I had to play overseas or in the D-League I would still have a blast doing it. I just can't see myself working an actual job because I don't think that I would be happy.
ReplyDeleteI got my name from my Dad "John". I got his full entire name including my middle name Alexander. A lot of people call me J.J. because I am John Jr. and my parents made it up for me because they thought it would fit be better growing up instead of John, and ever since then I have been called J.J. You already said in the blog that my name John means wholesome or dependable, so maybe I'll be something that helps people with their problems or some kind of counselor. I wouldn't really like to be a counselor, so looking at my last name "Sabala" and seeing that their is a "bala" at the end of it, it could mean I have a future in sports and athletics, whether it be a coach, player, owner and etc.. I think any job would be good for me, as long as I enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteJohn Saballin'
DeleteI got my name, Nathaniel, as I was my parent’s first child. The name “Nathaniel” means “gift from God” which they found appropriate being that I was the first born. On searching the name Nathaniel, I found that they tend to be actors, authors, chemists, and even artists. I guess the artist piece in those articles I read would be beneficial if I am planning on becoming the next Bruno Mars. :D
ReplyDeleteIn all seriousness though, I would like to either be an astrophysicist, or a cardiothoracic surgeon. If not, these specific careers, I’d at least like to be something in either the astronomy or medical areas. Space is a topic that has actually been expanding a lot lately, and is my favorite area of interest among all other sciences. Medicine is another area that I find interesting, and I am planning on trying to narrow my area of interest of medicine during this summer. Hopefully I will become something good though…
I got my name Sean from a both German and Irish standpoint for my parent's pride of their heritage, frankly I don't understand how it works because our heritage is mainly southern back to the 17th century, and Prussian. While the Name Patrick, I got from my Brother's name, and the name Crowley is an irish origin name (I guess that is where the Irish part of Sean came from) and means "God Saves", so I guess I am both a savor and gracious in the eyes of god. But the name Sean means "God is Gracious" and how my name could determine my job, Frankly I have no Idea what my Ideal job would be based on my name, I scrounged up a description of people named sean quoting
ReplyDelete"People with this name tend to be creative and excellent at expressing themselves. They are drawn to the arts, and often enjoy life immensely. They are often the center of attention, and enjoy careers that put them in the limelight. They tend to become involved in many different activities, and are sometimes reckless with both their energies and with money."
And with that said there are some things I would point out stating that if at all I aspired to be the center of attention It would probably be indadvertedly since I aim on being modest most of the time. And the fact I got my dad's habit of being as careful with money as I can be.
Although Most Crowley's were high ranked soldiers and generals, Actors/Actresses, Directors, Politicians and Baseball Players.
And the only Seans' I knew were a Guitarist, a Lawyer, a Plumber, an Engineer, or this crazy Irish guy who was a race car driver.
So I'm kinda on mixed views on what I would be.
Although I would like to be either an artist (if the art economy wasn't all in shambles making most in debt or broke), a Marine, President, or an Engineer.
I got my name from my parents. I don't think I received my name because of a person, but that I was just named Luke because that was just the name chosen. My ideal profession based on my name would be a doctor because of Luke the gospel writer, who was a doctor. I would either do two things for a job: be in the NFL, or be an automobile designer and engineer.
ReplyDeleteI got my name from my parents who named my after our family friend Uncle Bill (don't know his last name). Bill is short for William and Liam is Irish for William. My last name would suggest that I would become a merchant or business man, like my father and grandfather, but what I have desired to achieve for the longest time is to become a surgeon. I love my name very much, but I feel like I should start using my middle name more often; Liam Robert has a nice ring to it.
ReplyDeleteOh and after a extensive Google search I found that Liam means "determined protector". Therefore I guess that enforces my desire to by a surgeon; a protector of lives.
DeleteI got my name Reed because my parents thought it was "cute." They told me they got it from a family friends dog. Any way it is a good name and I am proud of it. No preffesions can really come to mind about my name. If i had to pick one job, I think i would be a teacher. I have always admired the teachers. If i could chose what I had to be in life, I would be a football player. Even though I am short and scrawny, I will remember you when I am famous Mr. Grant. My name does not defy who I am but it is who i want to be what is important.
ReplyDeleteYour name sounds like you would be the person who is the announcer of the puppy bowl
DeleteMy dad is Irish, therefore my parents wanted my name to be Irish. Megan means "brave warrior" in ancient Celtic/Irish, and in modern day the name means "pure". I think this appealed to my parents. I think my last name would put my into a profession of making doors, so maybe I'd be a carpenter. I'd actually like to be an architect when I'm an adult, so I'm not that far off!
ReplyDeleteMy mom chose the name by choosing. she said that she automaticly would name it brian if it was a boy, and so my name is brian. my dad came up with my middle name, Anthony, and my last name is fromm my Great grandpa, from Poland. (it is really cool to see the places your name came from) No name comes to mind when i think of Bodine. If i was to choose a profession then i would want to become a n Architect. I dont know why. The name is really important to me and I like it... :)
ReplyDeleteMy name was just something my parents thought would be a good name for a boy. I was almost named Seatle after Chief Seatle, but my mom overruled that decision. I am not sure where Bartlett came from, but I am assuming it is either French or English. My last name does not really suggest any real profession. I am not really sure want profession I want to take on, so I would just say doctor.
ReplyDeleteI had gotten my name from my Father actually. I was close to be named Antoni or Andoni but my dad didn't like the sound of it. My mom came up with it because then all the children would be A's. I looked all over the internet and could not find anything what Thomas means or Tomas means. I did find out that It is a Swedish and Norwegian name. I don't think I have enough info on what I want to do as a profession but I would think some sort of engineering or computer programming, if not that then maybe a physician.
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ReplyDeleteI got mine from the school Spanish teachers daughter in Spain! I would Like to be a Nurse! I want to be a nurse that works with kids with cancer or just work with kids in general! But I will probably end up working with Kids with cancer! It may be a sad job but I have wanted to do it all my life!
My name- Sydney- was just a really liked name in my family. People always thought though that it was because the Olympics that year was in Sydney, Australia, but it just so happened to be a coincidence. Maybe my profession based on my name would be to move to Sydney, Australia and get a job there! But I don't really know what profession it would be! I really want to be a lot of things: some sort of dancer, maybe biologist, photographer, or a video producer.
ReplyDeleteMy name Lily, was a name my mom really liked but was undecided to either name me Katie or Lily. My mom was leading more to naming me Katie until a few instances happened. One of them was when my mom was shopping. Two random girls stopped my mom while she was shopping and just said out of the blue said that she should name me Lily! My mom was really surprised. Another coincident was when my mom was shopping again, but for flowers, and a random lady came up to my mom and said she should buy a pot of Lily's! My mom ended up buying them and to this day they are planted in our front yard. After that my mom was naming me Lily no matter what other people said! So that's how my name Lily came around. My middle names,Grace and Eileen, was from my great grandma. Now, my last name is German and has been passed through many generations. My last name really just ties everything together! I think I may have a future of being a florist because of Lily........but that's not exactly my preferred profession. I guess I could give it a try, because I pretty much have an in to the job with my name! My preferred jobs are all over the board! They change monthly due to things I see people doing that look interesting! I want to do an unordinary job or something that I honestly absolutely love to do!
ReplyDeleteTHIS IS RYLIE: I got my name from my great great grandfather (I think that's how many greats) who was in the Mexican American War and was the youngest Captain at 17, his name was Riley Atkinson. My middle name comes from my great great grandmother Anne Ruth who had a my great grandma (Not Anne as first name because of family feud) Eunice Anne and then Barbra Anne then Julie Anne and then me. My mom spelled my name differently to make it more feminine. Based on my name my ideal profession would be a designer because I could have my brand be RyRy and Rylie sounds pretty nice for a fashion designer. But that would be my side job because my what I really want to be when I grow up is a biologist.
ReplyDeleteTHIS IS RAQUEL: Ok I got my name from the Bible. Well basically it's Rachel. My mom really was like really into having all our names from the Bible or Saint names or whatever, except Alice.I don't know much about the role she has in our church except for the fact that she was Jaycob's first and most loved wife. I heard something about her being a traveler. I think I would love to have a profession where it consisted of many travels. Although I don't think I would really choose it as my profession. I always felt as though my middle name had a little more of a "Guide" to my profession. St. Teresa which was a doctor of the church and I'm pretty interested in doing something like that. Even though she was a doctor because of her writing.
ReplyDeleteMy parents got my name from the song Aubrey by Bread. But I was originally supposed to be named Emily Marquis but about three mounths before I was born my mom took my brother Atticus to the park and he was playing in the sand box when she relized that all three of the girls that where in the sand box playing around him where all named Emil. So when my mom and brother vot home that night they decided that they needed to name me something else and latervthey decided to name mybAubrie because my dad liked the name and the song but did not like the spelling so they changed it th Aubrie instead of Aubrey. I guess in would be a famous person or something of that sort. If incould be anything I would be a dancer or have a job in bio machanics or somekind of thing to help people.
ReplyDeleteMy dad is half Irish, and when my parents found out they were having triplets, they wanted to find something irish-y. So came the names Keelie, Bailie, and Rylie. I looked up my name, and its usually spelled Keely. But my mom wanted to spell it the right way. My way. So all our names would rhyme. Anyways, when I looked up my name, it meant beauty in Irish. It seems as though are names truly do define us. My parents knew what they were doing when they named me that. Based on my name, Keelie Sirhall, and I asked Reed and John if they heard that name, what that person would be. They said that sounded like the name of a WWE Diva. I don’t even know what that is but they told me to put it. In reality, I want to be a lawyer, or a pilot in the Airforce.
ReplyDeleteMy dad actually came up with my name. My mom wanted it to be Taylor but he insisted it be Liza because Taylor was a boy's name. It was actually a little funny because he then decided Mom could pick my middle name. My last name is Watson and I really like how professional that sounds. I have my own plans for the future but if I had to pick a profession because of my name, I'd pick either a doctor or a teacher. Both of those sound kind of good. Dr. Watson or Ms. Watson sounds really good. In all actuality, I want to become an FBI detective. I like to use my head to solve things that have lots of twists and turns. I like things that confuse me because I have a burning passion to figure it out. I want to know how people think and want to know how they work. Consider it an oddity of mine if you like, but at least it's the truth.
ReplyDeleteI got my name from my parents. There was no specific reason as to why my name was Andoni. They just wanted a name that could be pronounces semi-easily in English. Based on my name, I would probably be best fit to be a criminal. Bieter does not sound like a very good profession. Regardless of my name I would like to be an engineer or if by some impossible,1 in 1000,000,000,000,000,000,000, chance, i would become a professional athlete.
ReplyDeleteI got my name from my heritage because I have a little Irish in my blood. That’s about it though. My parents never offered any other reason. They must have thought it was just good enough. Bailie Sirhall sounds like someone important, like a playground bully or politicians which are kind of like the same thing. I will be someone important someday too. Maybe not to the whole world but maybe to few small individuals, and that’s what counts. Regardless of my name I plan to become a veterinarian.
ReplyDeletemy parents just liked the name Claire, they wanted me and my siblings to have names of saints or religious names. My brothers name is Luke and my mom said that if we had another boy it would be named Mathew, Mark, or John. My last name is Hampton, so I guess my ideal profession would be working at the Hampton Hotel. I have had a lot of people ask me if my family owns the Hampton inn, I always respond with "I wish!". Regardless of my name, I'm not exactly sure what I want to do in the future. Maybe a crazy exotic job or an art and design job, I don't know yet.
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