Advantages to having a surname beginning A-L in alphabet?

[Cortina]

I've always had a bit of theory that if you have a surname that begins with a letter in the top half of the alphabet you have a slight advantage in life.

As regards Primary schoools, I help out at the school and things are often done alphabetically. With the As and Bs you are not in so much of a rush when you listen to them reading etc, they tend to have more of your time. Not lots more but marginally more.

You may look at your watch, know you have limited time and need to hurry through the next 5 or so readers (further down the alphabet). Of course you try to apportion time fairly but this can happen.

When it comes to activities and special treats often again the register is used as a guide. Those with surnames in the early part of the register get to go first. This can build confidence over time maybe? In my school we had very confident children with the surname Aitken, Allen, Appleton Bell and Collins!

My surname fell at the end of the alphabet. I can still remember the rare times the teacher decided to work through the register in reverse order, with the Zs first! I remember I missed my go as I was away from school that day!

I also remember (when older) sulking at the back of the exam queue waiting to go into the examination hall with the Ss, Ts and Ws! It took an age.

My surname begins with Z, so I am well and truly at the back!

I can vaguely recall occasions when I was pissed off that things were done alphabetically, but it doesn't seem to have impacted on my own success. Maybe becasue I am naturally brainy!

I've been upgraded a few times on flights because of an A surname.

i was a 'w' at school, last on the register. always wanted to be nearer the top. so i married someone with an 'a' surname (not the only reason i married him ).

both dc's are now the first on the register.

Ahh forget it then, if beer is not allowed....

It is an interesting debate thou'

what an interesting thread, something I had never thought about before! Our surname begins with B, and I think it's definitely been an advantage for my DCs. For example, they always sit near the front of the class as they are placed alphabetically at their school. Obviously my DCs would not agree this is a good thing.

It can work the other way; my DD had her first HPV jab last week, and had to go FIRST (in her particular class, which happened to be the first class in the queue). She did NOT like that very much!

On the flip side I was always first for any vaccinations at school ....

It's a general statistical tendency, Blackduck, not a strict rule.

academic publications, grant authoring etc often go by alphabetical name. my professor colleagues with the B.. names get to enjoy everything being B... et al (2009), say. it's quite striking how much more your name will be cited if you're a B.. than a W...

(of course, I'm only not a professor cos I'm at the W... end of the alphabet, not a B. nothing to do with piffling around on mumsnet or anything like that)

I remember the days of always being last, I had a "w" surname. My friends were always in front of me.

My ds has an A first name and a C surname. So he is always at the front! (some times things are done on first name at his school).

It's worse waiting for vaccinations though! How I envied those As,Bs and Cs as I worked myself into fainting territory listening to their tales of needle length and pressure!

I loathed the smug stream as they walked past me, whilst I waited and waited and waited..

Yes buy1 but being last in the line for a vaccination is no fun either

Fennel - dp is an Ass Prof by accident I am sure of it, his ability to while away days, nay weeks, on 'tinternet is legendary......so, yes, I'd put it all down to W. Interesting about citation though- have to ask dp about that....I think he's buggered because he's got such a boring surname

I always wanted the surname Silverlock like a girl in my class, it's worth being an S for that!

Some of the dishy and coolest boys had surnames beginning with W and I actually got to talk to them in the exam queue! There's an advantage, it made waiting pleasant sometimes!

I was born a W and married an A I remember being upset at school when our class was divided into 2 groups fro home economics alphabetically, all my friends names began with E or H or B and I was a W so in the other group. It was a sad day

im the opposite i was born with an A and i married a W, so if ds is disadvantaged at school because of it im going to blame it all on dh

I was an 'M' at school - always felt I missed out when they did the alphabet both forwards and backwards!

Really if you want a child who's going to do well you need to plan ahead, have them born in September, in a year without a baby boom, give them an A surname, and don't give them siblings cos only children (and oldest) do best academically.

I have several spring and summer born late-alphabet children, but hey, it'll save on university fees

I'm just thinking back and nearly all of our sixth form had 1st half alphabet surnames.

Could that just be that there are more surnames in first half of alphabet though? (conveniently ignoring the prolific Smiths, Wilsons, Roberts, Thompsons and so on)

I was a B and the oldest in my class, so was always first in line. This is not all it's cracked up to be (am thinking of vaccinations, Nitty Nora and sports day)

See earlier comments on vaccinations, much worse to be last IMO! Not sure about nitty Nora!

I used to be a U, and the youngest in the year to boot. So the end of everything! Tho to be honest, my surname was so unusual everyone always remembered me, so I didn't get forgotten.

Now I am a common-or-garden J ;-) I feel a little sorry for my children as I actually used to enjoy being practically unique (there are only about 350 people with my maiden name in the world)!

Fennel

what an interesting thread and one to discuss with my teacher friend...see if it still happens

Rebeccaj - that was why I kept my name when I got married! I'm too used to having such an unusual name (even if it does begin with Z)!

This is hilarious! I was born an R, but married Mr B (phew!).

I have always had a fear of missing out on stuff because of alphabetical order and even have nightmares (Still! Even though I'm 36 and have been married for four years!) where I've not been chosen for things because I'm at the end of the alphabet.

I've always thought I'm a bit strange and over-sensitive to worry about this, and it's quite a relief to discover I'm not!

I don't know about the alphabet bit but I was remember being really annoyed that it was the 'big strong boys' that were asked to volunteer for all the exciting get-out-of-class things. I'm sorry but at 9 or 10 I was bigger and certainly stronger than most of the boys in the class. 20 something years later and it still grates!!