Something for the weekend: Once we’re given a name at birth it usually stays with us for the rest of our lives, but have you ever wondered what impact yours has, whether it influences personalities, career choices, or even how much money you are likely to earn? Research from online language platform Preply has highlighted that people could go on to be successful and earn a higher wage if their parents pick the right moniker.
The research was conducted by scouring through thousands of names on LinkedIn across the globe to reveal which ones are most likely to work in some of the highest paying industries and earn the big bucks. It then took a list of 224 of the most popular ones of the past 30 years and organised them into industries, before weighting them based on how many living people have them today. Clearly the hard work paid off.
So, which names are the top earners? Well, it’s good news if you’re called Jake or Catherine, because they came out on top for the highest paid industry of political organisations, with an average salary of £81,932. Conservative and Labour MPs Jake Berry and Catherine West will probably be pleased to hear this!
Next up, Joe and Alexandra were ranked in second place for a career in sport, earning £55,000. Some sports stars with these include English footballer Joe Hart and American tennis player Alexandra Stevenson. Perhaps this news will motivate young employees to choose these names for their offspring.
Furthermore, people called Luke, Callum, Charlie, Matilda, Phoebe and Maisie are reportedly most likely to work in their childhood dream job of being a journalist, while the Jamies and Evas of the world are the names that are most likely to earn more in HR. A guaranteed perk of the job.
Daniele Saccardi, campaigns manager at Preply, said: “Our names are incredibly important to who we are, as they help form our identity and can even influence our personalities and shape who we become. However, as our research shows, the name you choose may have some influence on a future career.”
Here at Employee Benefits we celebrate all aliases, and we acknowledge that they can influence all aspects of our lives and impact how other people perceive us, but do not define who we are. After all, what’s in a name?