Do names have any effect on how people act?

[ToridAkbolto 170]

I was just thinking about how some names were more characteristic of "evil" people on television such as Sylvester and some were more characteristic of "nice" people like Grace. Then I watched this film called "the Grace Lee Project" where it studied the various Grace Lees around the world and found that they were all stereotyped into the same personality. 

Is this true for other names? Do you think that your name influences how society sees you, and then you act based on their reactions, thus making your personality predetermined based on your name? Or is it not that strong, do you think that your name only has minor influence on who you are? Perhaps you believe there is no effect at all and whatever is seen is purely coincidence or explained otherwise. 

 

So do names affect people's personalities? 

[Betez 1,734]

I think a name can potentially be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Like, if you were to name your kid Lucifer, his life would probably suck, and he'd probably have pretty low self-esteem because of it. But really other than purposely giving your son/daughter a not-so-good name, I don't really think names have much of an effect on your personality/life.

Edited January 17, 2013 by Betez

[Scootalove 10,689]

It depends on the name, if you name your child after something demonic & evil. They might be looked down upon, but if there is something that triggers their emotions to just act very crude towards people then it effects on how they act.

[Harmonic Revelations 8,835]

It depends on the name, if you name your child after something demonic & evil. They might be looked down upon, but if there is something that triggers their emotions to just act very crude towards people then it effects on how they act.

So if I name my child Lucifer I'll be looked down upon? I can kind of understand where you're coming from.

 

What if I name him Lucy? Would that be okay for his reputation?

[Scootalove 10,689]

So if I name my child Lucifer I'll be looked down upon? I can kind of understand where you're coming from.

 

What if I name him Lucy? Would that be okay for his reputation?

Well if you name your child Lucifer, yes.

But if you name him Lucy, well no harm done at all. Doesn't matter if its religious or not.

[Moon Rat 4,772]

My name is Joe and I'm anything but average :V

 

 

Seriously though, I am honestly kind of mixed I mean I knew a kid in middle school who was named Eugene and he legitimately looked like a guy who would be named Eugene xD

 

However, I knew several people with the same name however they acted completely different so yeah...

Edited January 17, 2013 by ~ds8~

[Starshine 16,335]

When you're assigned to a role, no matter how trivial or weird, a small part of you will try to fill in that role's shoes. The same thing can also happen when it comes to naming and position in an organisation.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_prison_experiment

 

Well, everything depends on how you actually view the role or name.

[khaine21x3 789]

There was an online news about some kid being named Adolf Hitler and his sister White Power by their parents in the US, I would think that they might get bullied in school due to those names and they might turn into white supremacists due to the way they are treated by people.

 

I think that certain things like names and stereotypes might lead to self fulling prophecies.

[Jinx 2,292]

The only way a name would affect a person's personality, is by them being treated differently by others. From there it can change a person's personality by they way they get treated by other people. There's no real standards to go by though, everyone's different.

[Jessper 735]

I wouldn't say it affects your personality, but it surely affects reactions of other people to some extend and perhaps can be a little humiliating for the name-holder. Tho, most of the names are pretty neutral.

I just don't think being named Adolf makes you more likely to become white supremacist, if you do, the problem comes from somewhere else, not your name.

 

But it often creates awkward situations. From my experience, best are the terrible names with ties to religion, when atheists hold them.

"Hi, I'm Ezekiel and I will speak for atheist student alliance..." *everyone tries to hide laughter and fails badly*

Similarly, a priest named Damian Black is also somehow making the work harder.

 

Personally, I know a medical doctor who has a second name that could be translated as "Scary". Go talk about your problems with a huge, bald man named Scary, I dare you.

 

But yeah, I think it's mostly funny or awkward, but not necessarily shifting the person.

[MuniMoose 489]

Well from what I've see is that most people with the name Chris usually have better out word lives then I but also when I tall to or have a discussion with them we seem to know the other answer. This doesn't really count for the other variations of my name such as Kris we're we get in to arguments more often then none. As for different area's of the world there two seemed to be difference for example I had the chance to talk to another Chris in France a few years ago (thank god he could speck English ) were we seemed to have the same personality but different chooses in life and up bringing. So I guess it's some what true to a point, but this also could be luck.

 

As for a Sid.... I don't think I every met anyone with that name in person to give an opinion about it

[Lunas Husband 2,777]

I don't think so... 

 

My name is Randell.. yet ever Randall I know is a asshole/jerk store. I'm not a asshole, I'm a really sweet and loving man.. or so I have been told from time to time. Top of all that I know a few ponies with the same name and they act sooo different.