How My Unusual First Name Shaped My Identity

by bernt & torsten

Names Matter

My name is Torbjorn, and throughout my life, it has sparked all sorts of challenges - some of my coworkers even opted to call me Turbo. I never really worried about the economic impacts of having an unusual name until recently. Delving into a few studies last week made me anxious; it turns out that the ease of pronouncing one's name carries significance. A 2012 Australian study highlighted how difficult-to-pronounce names are often judged less favourably by others. Such names could even lower your chances of securing a top position within law firms.

 

More contemporary research examined job outcomes for 1,500 individuals earning economics Ph. D.s at U.S. universities between 2016 and 2018. This study considered students' gender and academic achievements while assessing the impact of their names on career prospects. The findings were clear: Those with more complex names had fewer opportunities for academic positions, especially at prestigious universities.

This builds on well-known studies providing evidence of discrimination in job interviews based on names suggesting specific ethnic or racial origins. Among names from the same background, ease of pronunciation plays a role (the study shows English speakers find "Gupta" easier to pronounce than "Seetharam") in securing interview calls.

The most alarming discovery is that a hard-to-pronounce first name can affect your opportunities three times more than a complicated last name.

Going forward, feel free to call me Totta.