Is your name Kevin? Our apologies…
Posted January 5, 2012 8:29 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – It turns out what you name a baby can have some pretty big implications — especially if that name is Kevin.
The latest research in the journal Social Psychology and Personality Science once again suggests poorly-chosen first names lead to negative reactions from strangers, which can negatively influence outcomes all through life.
“Kevin” was the name that fared the worst in the study and, on the streets of Vancouver, non-Kevins agree.
“Well… It’s kind of 50/50,” says one woman who knows a Kevin. “I like him, but…”
But he’s a Kevin!
Kevin Misener with News1130’s sister station in Toronto is actually thrilled with the research. “Finally! This explains what happened to me in high school. My lack of dates was a result of revulsion to my name, not necessarily to me!”
Researchers also caution parents about getting too creative with their kids’ names, and most parents we spoke to couldn’t agree more.
“My wife wanted our son to be Timmothy, with two ‘M’s,” says Graeme. “But he’d be Tim-Mouthy all through school.”
“As a result, he just ended up being Dim Tim!” he laughs.
The study suggests a poorly-chosen name can lead to neglect, discrimination, lower self-esteem, less education or even ostracism.
A random list of Kevins:
Kevin O’Leary, billionaire investor, abrasive TV personality
Kevin Bieksa, gritty Vancouver Canuck, professional hockey pest
Kevin Smith, film director, kicked off an airplane
Kevin Bacon, eponymous name-game person
Kevin Falcon, BC finance minister, “only” the deputy premier
Kevin Rudd, Australian minister of foreign affairs
Kevin McCarthy, US congressman and majority whip
Saint Kevin
“KEVIN!” (Catherine O’Hara in “Home Alone”)
