>> AS A BABY, MY PARENTS PASSED THIS ON TO US.
REPORTER: THEY ARE AMONG THE MILLIONS OF EXPECTANT PARENTS DECIDING WHAT THEIR BABY WILL BE CALLED.
IT CAN BE COMPLICATED.
>> SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE EASY TO PRONOUNCE, GOOD TO YELL AT, IF WE NEED TO, AND THAT WE COULD DO A CUTE NICKNAME.
REPORTER: ADD TO THAT THE DIZZYING MIX OF THE YEAR’S MOST POPULAR NAMES, SUBJECT THE ONES THAT ARE NOT SO POPULAR IN OUR LIVES.
>> OF COURSE YOU ASSOCIATE A NAME WITH WHOEVER YOU KNEW BEFORE.
CAN’T USE IT IF YOU LIKE THAT.
REPORTER FOR THEM IT CAME DOWN TO A STORY, ONE NOT SO MUCH ABOUT BOY OR GIRL, BUT MORE ABOUT WHEN BOY MET GIRL.
>> WE WERE DATING AND I TOOK HER BY THE WATER TO WATCH THE PLANES.
THE WORD LOGAN REMINDS U OF LOGAN AIRPORT AND HOW WE BONDED.
REPORTER: PERSONAL MEETING FOR MOM AND DAD, BUT RESEARCH SUGGESTS A NAME IS MORE THAN A SEMANTIC PLACE CARD DETERMINING A SEAT AT THE TABLE.
IT MIGHT JUST DETERMINE WHAT SEE YOU GET.
>> WE ARE BIASED IN THE WAY -- IN WAYS THAT ARE EGO FRIENDLY AND HELP PROTECT OUR SELF-ESTEEM.
REPORTER: DR. SAM SOMMERS FROM TUFT UNIVERSITY ADDRESSES WHA PSYCHOLOGISTS CALL IMPLICIT EGOTISM IN HIS BOOK SITUATIONS MATTER.
>> IT IS THE IDEA WE ARE FOND OF OURSELVES IN GENERAL, SOME OF US HAVE PLEASANT, POSITIVE ASSOCIATIONS WITH THE SELF, AND SOMETIMES THOSE ARE UNCONSCIOUS.
REPORTER: FROM HOME WE MARRY, WEST STREET WE LIVE ON, TO WHAT WE DO FOR A LIVING.
ALL BASED HOW SIMILAR THE NAMES ARTWORLD.
>> MY NAME IS DENNIS SHERMAN AND I AM A DENTIST.
REPORTER: FOR 30 YEARS DENNIS SHERMAN HAS BEEN MAKING PEOPLE SMILE.
A PEARLY WHITE EXAMPLE OF THE IDEA HIS NAME INFLUENCES CAREE CHOICE, THOUGH THIS IS NEWS TO HIM.
>> I KNOW IF YOU DENNIS’ WHO ARE DENTISTS.
I WAS SURPRISED IT IS A COMMON CONNECTION.
REPORTER AT BOSTON COLLEGE, STEP INSIDE THE COLLEGE OF THE ELEGY.
>> I AM STEPHEN POPE, PROFESSOR OF THEOLOGY.
WHEN I WAS A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER THE STUDENTS USED TO MAKE FUN OF MY NAME.
PARENTS THOUGHT IT WAS HILARIOUS THEIR SON IS TAKING THEOLOGY FROM POPE.
THAT MADE ME NOT WANT TO DO IT, BUT I HAD TO OVERCOME MY RESISTANCE BECAUSE I LOVE THE MATERIAL.
IT IS AN ODD HYPOTHESIS I DO NOT THINK HAS BEEN VERIFIED SCIENTIFICALLY.
>> NO ONE IS SAYING MY NAME SOUNDS LIKE DENTIST, I WILL BE A DENTIST.
THERE ARE SOME ANALYSES THAT SUGGEST WE DO TEND TO GRAVITATE TOWARD THINGS THAT REMIND US OF OURSELVES.
REPORTER: IF YOU HAVE HIGH HOPES FOR A SEA LEVEL SUITE FOR YOUR LITTLE ONE, NAMED HIM JACK, BOB OR BRUCE.
THEY HAVE A DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF CEO TITLES.
>> I AM THE CEO OF THE BOSTON TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL.
I AM THE YOUNGEST OF SIX BOYS AND WAS VOTED LEAST LIKELY TO BECOME A CEO IN MY OWN FAMILY, SO I HAVE TO THANK MY PARENTS FOR IT.
REPORTER: THERE IS IN FACT A MORE SERIOUS SIDE, NAMES THAT MIGHT FIND THEMSELVES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SELECTION POOL.
>> CERTAIN NAMES ON RESUMES GET RECEIVED MORE POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY THAN OTHER NAMES, WHETHER IT IS NAMES EASY TO PRONOUNCE, PEOPLE LIKE THOSE MORE OR EXTENSIVE RESEARCH
DEMONSTRATES WHEN YOUR NAME IS ONE THAT SEEMS OR SOUNDS WHITE, THOSE RESUMES GET REVIEWED MORE POSITIVELY.
SAME EXACT RESUME.
REPORTER IN A 2000 FOUR STUDY FIVE RESUMES WERE SENT FROM FICTIONAL APPLICANTS WITH WHITE-SOUNDING NAMES -- EMILY WALSH AND GREG BAKER.
AFRICAN-AMERICAN SOUNDING NAMES LAKISHA WASHINGTON AND JAMAAL JONES.
THE WHITE-SOUNDING NAMES GOT 50% MORE CALLBACKS REGARDLESS OF INDUSTRY.
>> WHEN YOU ARE GOING UP AGAINST 200 MORE PEOPLE, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT’LL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME, BUT AN OBSTACLE FOR OTHERS.
REPORTER:?
IS IT REAL?
-- IS IT REAL?
WITH NO CONCRETE STUDY TO REFERENCE, WE DID OUR OWN UNSCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON OUR OWN NAMES HERE AT CHRONICLE.
SHAYNA SEYMOUR DOES SEEM TO SAVOR THE S’S IN HER LIFE.
SHE MET HER HUSBAND STEPHEN SAN FRANCISCO AFTER GRADUATING FROM SPELMAN COLLEGE, HE TOOK HER TO A SOX GAME, AND THE REST IS SMOOTH SAILING.
TED REINSTEIN LIVES ON A STREET BEGINS WITH A T.
HIS FIRST CAREER WAS IN PETER.
PERHAPS ANTHONY EVERETT CAN THANK T A FOR HIS GOOD GRADES IN HIGH SCHOOL AND HIS FIRST HOME ON AQUEDUCT ROAD.
I DID ONCE ADOPT A JOB NAMED NIKO, LOVE NECCO WAFERS, AND MY NEW BOSS I NECO.
THEY ARE A OK ON THAT NAME THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO TAKE THEIR BABY TO NEW HEIGHTS.
LOGAN, YOU THINK YOU MIGHT BECOME A PILOT?
>> HOPE SO, THAT WOULD BE C