Names and Careers

The amount of posters on this thread who completely miss the point is very frustrating.

My anecdotal point to add is that I've been a health visitor for 10 years and In the area I work I see the tide changing. It is now the upper class well educated parents who really want an unusual unique name and the parents who rely solely on benefits and left school with no qualifications who are choosing traditional names. I cover, relatively, an extremely small area so it doesn't necessarily mean anything but from a personal point or view I do find it fascinating as it's completely different to 10 years ago.

"how would you feel if you went for an appointment with your surgeon and they had blue hair, multiple tattoos, multiple piercings and a (pick-your-own-choice-of-lower-class) accent. Would you trust them?"

I would assume that their professional ability was great enough to overcome the irrational prejudice people have against 'alternative' appearance, and I would be more likely to trust them. To be completely honest with you.

Besides which, they would obviously be of my people, and I would feel a personal affinity towards them that would only add to the confidence.

I think I am on the fence. I agree that children with perceived 'lower class' names are judged in a certain way and potentially given less opertunity.

But, from my own experience I do know a:
Lily-May Rainbow who is a Dr/Consultant
Mackenzie who is a lawyer
Tyler who is financial advisor (or something)
Lolly Louise who is a successful business woman

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3207841/Parents-inspired-celebrity-mums-like-Kate-Moss-Beyonce-giving-baby-daughters-TWO-names-bid-make-sound-unique.html

Chances are a little girl called " Celery" is not going to grow up to become a high court judge. Not so much because of her ridiculous name but because it gives insight into the values ( or lack of) of the people who named her and more importantly raised and influenced her. And if they are work shy chavs, the importance of education, work ethic, giving back to the community, having aspirations as well as being able to know how to conduct oneself, all needed, to be a high court judge, are going to be missing!

This is why when people choose a name off the " chavtastic" top ten name lists, such as " Chardonnay" people already have an idea of the type of person attracted by giving their baby such a name.

Darius?

James Tiberius Kirk was always taken seriously...

oh.

wait.

Witch, if my lawyer was called Looby I would assume it was a nick name. I would take them seriously as long as they were good at their job.

I have been dedicating myself all afternoon to the issue of what name could be considered both "posh" and "black" and I have come up with

Tiberius

and

Constance

(walked around a stately home yesterday and one of the lady's of the house was named Constance but its not actually a name I would normally associate with poshness)

How seriously would you take somebody for an interview as a lawyer if they were called Looby? Serious question, I do actually know somebody with this name.

Octavia sounds quite posh in the UK and is (apparently) considered a black name in the USA. Same as Marcus. Apparently that is a black name in the USA. It sounds more divisive than here

"If you are called Eleanor then you are 100 times more likely to go to Oxford than if you are called Jade."
As said before on this thread, correlation does not imply causation . . .

////recalls former students///

in one class:

Kyle
Courtney
Rhys
Reece
Kieran
Tia
Jay
Jayden

or in my other class:

Edward
Hannah
Emily
Rory
Eleanor
Anna
Charles
Ben
Rose

(etc)

Much as I hate the idea, people do judge based on names, there are countless studies which show this out there.

www.businessinsider.com/choosing-a-successful-name-for-your-baby-2012-1?IR=T

www.nbcnews.com/id/34063244/ns/business-careers/t/it-or-not-name-can-impact-your-career/

www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26634477

If you are called Eleanor then you are 100 times more likely to go to Oxford than if you are called Jade.

I really want to know a name considered both 'posh' and 'black' and that is obscure! I'm not doubting it, just insanely curious.

I completely agree! You see it all the time as a teacher.

The names in the class list of my top sets vs my bottom sets - and the aspirations and job outlook of each are clear.

I think one thing that is really important to note here is that there are two factors in names that have been as I understand it clearly and repeatedly proved to affect your prospects (in studies using standard CVs submitted in different names, for example)

1. Being perceived to be female
2. Being perceived to be from an ethinic minority.

Perhaps tackling sexism and racism in society might be a higher priority than criticising people for giving their children 'unsuitable' names.

The High Court judge example is a perfect one. Frankly, it's unlikely to make a big difference if you're called Poppy or Catherine. What you really need to be called is James . . . .

Posted too soon!

Meant to say, I think on balance I'd rather have a name from the first group than the second.

And Poppy isn't cutesy.

There's a difference, IMO, between a name that may suggest a particular socio-economic group in the UK (Jaden, Riley, Mason etc) and babyish names (Betsy, Gracie-Boo etc).

The former group are equally appropriate for grown adults, children and babies, whilst the second group infantilises the owner.

I don't know about anyone else but I have never known my doctors first name and when I did Jury service we never heard the judge's first name either.
My doctor could be called crapbag for all I know.

btw, ronan keating's new wife's name is now known to be 'Sharon' not Storm.

No way DriverSurpriseMe!! Bernie and Pixie, in some ways quite alike! in other ways, poles apart!

Pixie is Irish and I think, her real name isn't Pixie, so she chose to use it instead of her given name. I wonder at what point in her career she decided to become Pixie! Just before a tv contract? cyncial Patricia Mckenna? Pauline MCKenna?

I think her real name is Bernadette, IIRC

The female dr on that embarassing bodies show is called 'Pixie'. She's done alright considering...

I do agree though that names on cv's are judged.