WHAT'S IN A NAME?

[CROWN COUNCIL]

Maybe you have never thought about it. You had no participation in the selection of your name but you are stuck with it and that might have more significance than you think.  In fact those who have studied these matters claim that observers perceive our names as badges bearing information about our class, education level, and ethnic origin. A name can also exert unconscious influence over a person's own choices in important things such as type of work to do to make a living.

We may not realize it but names are subject to fashion much as clothing styles, musical fads, and even hair styles.  For instance, you choose what you think is a unique and unusual name for a child and when he/she arrives in kindergarten there are three or four with the same "unusual" name.

The fact is that we all make assumptions about people on the basis of their names.  For instance, if you are hiring a sales person who will call on a class of professional people and you have several applicants for the job, who would you choose to interview first George Henry, Homero or Tuutu, the latter being pronounced TwO-OO- two.

Of course you choose George because you assume that he is a mainline caucasian who is like the majority of people he will be calling on.  You may not realize that you have wondered if Homero might be an illegal alien, and whether Tuutu is an overweight, brown-skinned Islander.   Taking it one step further, what if your choice is between Franklin or Frank; Johnathon or John?

So what is the conclusion of all of this?  It suggests that if you are the one choosing a name for one of your offspring, it is well to think about what kind of motivation the name will provide and what others, such as school teachers or employers, will assume about them based on their name.

And if you are thinking about your own name, it might be well to consider the effect that it may have on your choice of work or subconscious influence on your personality.  It would be well not to let your name influence you in a direction you really don't want to go.  In all cases, it is well to consider what's in a name.

Gregory B. Anderson-director