1. Names and Culture

2.  Does your name make you who you are or do your parents determine what you become?  What if you were given a foreign sounding name? Will it change others expectations of you?  How do you measure the effect of the name you are given on the outcome of your life? How much does your name matter?

3.  California Data Set – Birth Certificates 1960s-2000  2 Girls – similar background and SES  1 girl is given traditional name  1 girl is given unique black cultural name  Wait 20 years... Outcome? Researcher: Rollin Friar

4.  Black sounding names 25% more likely to receive an “arrest” ad.  Traditional sounding names received less deviant- associated ads. Names and Internet Ads on Google

5.  Adwords – Company responsible for ads on Google searches  Who is at fault?  Ad company?  Google?  Society?  Does your name matter? Names and Internet Ads on Google (cont.)

6.  Are “Emily” and “Craig” more employable than “Andre” and “LeKeisha”? Names and Job Applications

7.  Audit Studies  White sounding names received many more call backs than black sounding names.  However, most jobs are given out based upon who you know rather than a resume or regular application  A call back doesn’t necessarily = job Names and Job Applications (cont.)

8.  Your name may not have much of an influence on your life’s outcome; however, your name does tell us a lot about...  Education Level  Social Standing Names and Parents

9.  Most names start at the top of the income distribution and then trickle down to other income levels  Over 20-30 years, those at the top want to separate themselves from the previously used names. Names and Parents (cont.)

10.  Conservative High Income – popular names  Liberal High Income – more unique names with obscure cultural messages (Why?)  Low income African American mothers without a high school degree – very unique names  Change in spelling  Made up words Liberals, Conservatives, and Names

11.  Liberals  Nurturing/feminine sounding names (Ex. Ella)  More “l” letters in names  More vowel endings (both male and female)  Example: Obama girls  Sasha and Alea Liberals, Conservatives, and Names (cont.)

12.  Conservatives  Masculine/Paternalistic Names (Ex. Kurt)  Short, consonant-dominated names (both boys and girls)  Example – Palin kids  Piper, Trig, Track, Bristol, Willow? Liberals, Conservatives, and Names (cont.)

13. Liberals – 10 Names Boys  Ethan  Dylan  Joshua  Charlie  Lief Girls  Lola  Mia  Fia  Elliana  Ruby

14. Conservatives – 10 Names Boys  Andrew  Ethan  Dylan  Caleb  Carter Girls  Kacey  McKenzie  Jordan  Taylor  Sarah

15.  Naming is not destiny!  Story of “Winner” and “Loser” Biggest Take-Away

16.  If it’s not names... then what is it that makes a difference for individuals?  Family SES Reason for Success?