Another study published last year in the journal Psychological Science suggested something entirely different: that academic success is actually related to the letter your name begins with. It found that students whose names begin with letters associated with lower academic performance, such as C and D, earn lower grade point averages than students whose names begin with A and B.
The study also found that students whose names begin with C and D attend lower-ranked law schools than those with names beginning with A and B.
So, are you doomed to a life of failure if you have an unusual name that begins with—gasp—a D? Of course not, say name experts. Your personality can also determine how your name is perceived, says Evans.
“In certain occupations having a funny-sounding name that is memorable can be very useful,” Evans said. “For example, if you’re an extroverted person and you work in sales, you could introduce yourself with your odd name and a smile and you can use it as a conversation piece.”
The same can be true of names with unusual spellings. Llezlie L. Green, a civil rights attorney in Washington, DC, says people often ask her about her name and it sometimes can be an icebreaker. When she was interviewing for a clerkship with a judge, the first question he asked was about her name.
Green, who is getting married in May, says she recently discovered another unexpected professional advantage to her unusually spelled name. It will help smooth the transition when she adds on her husband’s last name to her business cards and email signature.
“I don’t worry so much about people being able to find me or figure out who I am once I get married because what are they going to do—think that I’m some other Llezlie with two l’s?” she says. “I’m the only Llezlie who comes up on Google.”
But what about ethnic-sounding names that are especially difficult to spell and pronounce? How would you pronounce Digvijai or Sokheng if you picked up the phone to call them for a job interview?
