Survey by BabyNames.com Says: Yes, Names Can Affect a Person's Love Life

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- How many people would date someone named Bertha? How about Adolf? According to a survey conducted by BabyNames.com, a name can make or break a love match.

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"Names do have an effect on choosing a mate," says name expert Jennifer Moss, founder of BabyNames.com.

The website conducted a three-year survey with over 25,000 respondents. When first asked if a name affected their dating preferences only thirty-one percent of the respondents said yes.  They were then asked if they would date people with a series of quirky or embarrassing names. Those who dated women were asked if they would date someone named Bertha, Crystal, Wilma, and Gertrude, while those who dated men were asked if they would date people named Adolf, Barney, Ashley, and Elmo.

Moss states, "At the end of the survey we asked the same question — if a name affects respondents' dating/mating choices. And believe it or not, the statistic changed: more than seventy-one percent admitted that yes, it did matter."

BabyNames tested several monikers on both gender lists, such as Jupiter and Sexany. "Sexany was completely made up," Moss says. "As far as we know, no one is actually named Sexany. We wanted to include a name that was embarrassing but couldn't be associated with any person." Sixty-four percent of the respondents rejected the name Sexany for a male date, while seventy-two percent rejected the name for a female.

"People have two levels of name identification," Moss says.  "Personal Identification stems from people in your life, such as previous relationships, family members, and even school bullies. But there is also 'Mass Identification,' when a name is associated with a public figure. In that case, most people will identify the name with the same person, such as Oprah, Angelina, or Adolf."

The survey asked for comments after each name, which allowed extra insight into the psychology of name identification. For example, one person wrote, "I wouldn't date someone with the same name as my dad or brothers. I once met a nice guy named Kerry but I just couldn't do it. My brother's name is Kerry."  Another summed it up: "Their names may be fine for them, but when you have to tell people the name of the person you're dating, it becomes an issue."

For the full survey results, visit: http://www.babynames.com/surveys

About BabyNames.com

Since its launch, BabyNames has been heralded as one of the top parenting sites on the Internet by such publications as The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune, Associated Press and The Washington Post. The site currently receives over two million unique visitors every month.

BabyNames.com is dedicated to maintaining an ethnically diverse database of names and meanings, and to keeping the site a fun and family-oriented place to celebrate life and children.

The site is owned and operated as a family business, by four sisters, Jennifer Moss, Mallory Moss, Kate Moss Glinsmann, Sue Moss and their mother Peggy Moss

Contact:
Jennifer Moss
(510) 516-2637
[email protected]

SOURCE BabyNames.com