Do our names determine our personalities?

[brightyoungthing]

What do you think? My DD is called Francesca because I wanted her to be a very girly princess type and she is!! And how much does a persons name influence what we think of them? Are all Josh's naughty in school? Oh so many questions in my head............!

yeah, well, when you get old enough to pick your own name, that's a differnet matter, innit

but their names don't tell you about their personalities, do they? Surely they just give you clues as to fashions and social groupings

I've definitely heard that what your surname is and therefore where you fit in the school register determines a lot - e.g. people with 'A' surnames tend to be more confident because from a young age they have always had to do things first...

Not sure how true it is but quite interesting theory.

Definitely not. Other people may judge a person by their name before they know them but people's characters are just the way they are.

Sometimes a name says more about the parents who named them and the type of family they have been brought up in which may in turn have an affect on their personalities

But I don't think the name itself changes who we are.

've definitely heard that what your surname is and therefore where you fit in the school register determines a lot - e.g. people with 'A' surnames tend to be more confident because from a young age they have always had to do things first...

Not sure how true it is but quite interesting theory.

I agree with this and I think started a thread on this very thing a while back.

I was usually last to do the special activities being at the back end of the register, had to wait until my name was called last in the morning, the last in the long queue for exams and so on. The register was sometimes reversed, for the benefit of those of us at the end, but this happened very rarely.

I actually go against the grain here and think that your name can influence your character, but indirectly.

No one would deny that your experiences growing up can influence your personality (not deterimine, but influence a bit). If your name is ebonnee then you are likely to experience more negative responses as you introduce yourself in life, more preconceptions about you/your family than someone called, say, Emily. I can believe that, over the years, that may have an effect.

I would say, based on the OP, that if (for example), you want your daughter to be a very girly, princess type, then you will treat her as very girly and princessy (regardless of whether she is Francesca or Mildred), and you can then bet she will most definitely be girly and princessy.

I would also add to anyone who has cultivated a pricessy type - good luck with the teenage years!!!

5DollarShake I think I'm going to need all the help I can get!! When I say Princess type I think more of fairy princesses rather than spoilt little princesses, more girly ballet pinky pretty floaty fairy than stroppy spoilt madame! I started this thread after remembering an article I read where primary teachers were interviewed about what name of pupil was the naughtiest/quietest/clever etc. I found it so interesting and maybe the difference our names make to our lives starts at school if teachers are putting our kids in categories before they can even read and write properly.

It does say more about the parents really. We chose "classic" names for our DCs because we didn't want them to be embarrassed about their names.

Ah, I see! To me 'princess' conjures up images of a little girl who is doted on and spoilt, always given her own way and never told off - but your description makes more sense!

I do think there are 'naughty' and 'nice' names, and without a doubt people do make judgments (you only have to look in this forum to see!), but I don't anyone holds a name against a child/person once they've gotten to know them.

We chose family names, but they are classic and, I think, have minimal teasing potential!

hehe im an emma, you made my day cuppateajanice

I think our parents determine our personalities - a mixture of genetics and upbringing - and since our parents also choose our names, then there is likely to be a high degree of correlation between names and personalities!

Go read Tristram Shandy

not sure, my dd's name is quite conservative and she's a real brat who never listens to me. she could be called disneyvitabelle, Prudence or Anne and she'd be the same. I think.

I really think names influence personality, if only because of, as a few people have said, other's reactions to/expectations of a name.

Most teachers will tell which names they associate with naughty or nice children - and that must influence how they treat a child and therefore the child's reaction to that.

I agree with Cuppateajanice - all Emmas I've known have been great!

All the Christophers I've known have been kind and lovely too.

kimbles1984 - one of my step-brothers is called Aidan (now grown-up) and he is exactly the same as you've described your Aidan. He's now a real high-flyer, full of energy - and still very noisy!

I suspect it is more to do with the teachers' and parents' expectations, and the tendency of some names to be chosen by better-off parents or soap-watchers.
Not to mention names favoured by particular religions or ethnic groups.
I remember reading a study that said that girls with boys' or unisex names earned more when they grew up. e.g. your average Jo(sephine) would earn more than a Sarah. Sounds strange, but then I once worked in a place where all three graduate trainees were called Jo (all girls) in one particular intake.

My DD's name means Pure and she is but then she's only 17 weeks old so couldn't be anything else!

We were thinking of using Kitty as a NN. Does that make her a pure granny or a pure stripper

I'm another "Princess" but was anything but while growing up. Complete tomboy.

I think our names do have an impact on personalities.

I think people (adults, rather than children) make pre-judgements (even in a subconscious, snap-second way) when they hear our names and very subtly, adjust how they behave to us accordingly.

This might start with nursery/school teachers, friends' parents, teenage/uni friends, employers, colleagues, etc etc.

I have a very unusual, but classical European name, which I love. If pushed, I'd describe myself as outgoing, confident and gregarious. People are always interested in my name, asking about the origins of it, and my origins. Once introduced I've never known anyone to forget my name, even after a couple of decades. In my professional life, I think my name has opened doors, in that it jumps out at people from a list, and sticks in their minds.
I wonder if people would have responded to me in the same way had my name been (random example 'Jane')? And if they hadn't, I do think I might not have been so confident, positive or sociable...

However, I do think nurture and genetics are even bigger factors in determining our personalities - but our names are definitely a significant piece of the jigsaw.

Why else do we spend so much time and energy choosing our childrens' names?!