How a Name Can Help or Hurt a Career: What’s in a Name?

It’s the first thing someone sees on your resume or on your business card.  

Your name is an important part of the first impression you make in the professional world whether applying for a job, meeting a new client, or vying for a promotion. But does your name make you sound intelligent and strong—or ditzy and feeble?

“The image of a name is really important and the fact is you already have an image in your head for many names,” says Bruce Lansky, who has been researching names for more than thirty years and has written nine books on baby names.

The importance of your name also depends on the situation, according to experts, who say names matter more if you are just sending in a resume than if you are sitting down for an interview. In an interview, the first impression will be based on more information including appearance, conversational skills, etc.

Race—and racism—are still factors when it comes to names on resumes. Psychological studies have shown that resumes with African-American-sounding names often get fewer calls than those with more traditional sounding names when the candidates are equally qualified, say name experts.

“When a company gets resumes from someone named Yvonne and someone named Ebonisha, they might say, ‘Let’s call Yvonne,’” Lansky said.

Women also face the unpleasant reality of prejudice and stereotypes. For women in the workplace, a name carries even more significance—and potential for problems. Lanksy suggests avoiding nicknames that end in “y,” “ie,” or “i.” These ee-sounding names first proliferated in the 1950s and 1960s with common choices like Suzy and Judy, but are still popular in modern names like Haley and Kylie.

“They had sort of a cute, cheerleader, zippy image that was nice and warm, but not necessarily intelligent or competent,” Lansky says.

Nancy Collamer, a career coach and the founder of JobsandMoms.com, agrees that women should avoid using cutesy-sounding nicknames like Patsy in favor of full names like Patricia.

“Candy, Muffy, or any of those names that lack the sense of seriousness might cause you a little bit of difficulty,” Collamer says.