How Much Does Your First Name Really Matter to Prospective Partners?
Based on statistics released in a Humboldt University of Berlin study, your first name can have a significant effect on your chances of getting a date. The report indicates that there are certain names that are less likely to attract attention from the opposite sex. The statistical analysis was performed after collecting data from nearly 50,000 members of a popular dating site like UKDate.com. The researchers sent private messages to other members, including nothing but a name, age, and postal code.
The results showed that certain names are statistically more attractive than others, with the most appealing men’s names being Max, Peter, Alexander, Jacob, and Mark. On the other hand, unappealing men’s names were Marvin and Kevin, amongst others. The most appealing female names for dating in UK turned out to be Marie, Hannah, Emma, and Charlotte. Meanwhile, some of the least attractive female names were Chantal, Mandy, and Jacqueline.
Private messages sent from Alexander ended up soliciting more than 100% more responses than those solicited from Kevin. So what are you to do if your name is Kevin or Mandy; should you legally change your name to become more eligible in the UK date market? Well, the good news is β all of this name-critical judgment is actually quite subjective. Another similar study showed that people are less likely to feel comfortable with people that have names that are foreign to them.
Female names were tested a bit different than the males, with researchers setting up profiles and seeing how many hits they got, with the logic that males were more likely to pursue females rather than the other way around. By sending private messages as males, and waiting for profile visits as females, the researchers felt they simulated a realistic dating environment to generate the most accurate results possible.
According to the researchers, the reasoning behind the seemingly arbitrary bias towards certain names likely stems from people’s perception of class and behaviour being associated with names and titles. While it may seem silly that some people would form their opinions of others based solely on names, it has been successfully proven. Fortunately, although names apparently do play a significant role in dating success, there are plenty of other factors that can help you overcome your terrible birth name, like your picture, self-descriptions, and of course your personality.
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