Our names have more influence than we think, says a recent research study conducted in Israel and France. The study was initiated at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and its aim was to explore if a person’s name has any influence on their appearance.
Hundreds of people were shown head shots of complete strangers. When provided with a list of names and asked to choose the name of the stranger, the results were correct about 38% of the time. This means that if your parents name you Jessica, you are going to manifest the look of a Jessica. The study was also conducted to explore if computers were able to choose the right name. After reviewing 94,000 images, the answer is yes.
So what does study prove? Name stereotypes exist. What our parents call us matters for the rest of our lives and our looks are impacted by our name. The research shows that “the demonstration of our name being manifested in our facial appearance illustrates the great power that a social factor can have on our identity, potentially influencing even the way we look.”
To all the parents out there, all we can ask is that you think twice before naming your baby ‘Dragon.’ To learn more about the study, check it here.
