16 January 2007

What's in a name?

I've been reading a really cool series called The Book of Names in The Times of London, all about people's first name. They've got all sort of neat articles here about how one's first name determines all sorts of things about how life works out (or doesn't). They've also done some cool analysis of names and stats associated with them.

For example, i have leaned:

According to a 2005 report by insurance company esure, Alastairs are among the most dangerous drivers in Britain, or at any rate most likely to be involved in a car insurance claim.

Trevors are three quarters more likely to be self-employed than most people. (The one Trevor I know is self-employed...)

According to a study presented to the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2000 by Dr Luke Birmingham of House Medium Secure Unit in Hampshire, the name Fiona has the most positive associations for psychiatrists. They are far less likely to consider a patient called Fiona a malingerer or a drug addict than someone called, say, Tracey.

Anna is the name most likely to live in a home built before 1900. (Ethan would have been an Anna, had he been a she.)

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