What’s in a name? A ton. Your name is your purpose. Your identity. The way the world views you. From the playground to the conference room, a name creates social and cultural impressions that shape our interactions and the opportunities available to us in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. It turns out the name you go by may even influence your career potential; some names are disproportionately more common among leaders and top executives. In fact, recent research indicates that you may have your name to thank for your career path.
The Most Successful Names in Business
Statistical experts reviewed the first names of 61.8 million Americans, from CEOs to ordinary managers on LinkedIn. The outcome may surprise you: John is the most successful, Michael comes in second, and David is third. Robert and Mark take the fourth and fifth positions on the list.
It turns out that John is the most popular CEO among Americans. Michael leads the list of CFOs, and David is the most common name for managers. The top five executive names are old-school, traditional ones. This could be a result of how easily we remember them and associate them with power.
Women and Leadership Names
In contrast, the report noted the notable absence of female names in top slots. But the few female names that were present did occupy executive roles. Of the job profiles analyzed for the report, only about one-third were women.
Just one female name made the top 10 cut: Jennifer (No. 6). A 2024 World Economic Forum report found that women made up 36.4% of people hired into leadership roles that year, down from 36.9% in 2023.
For the female executives that did appear in the study, “Kimberly” ranked in the middle of the pack. Resume.io’s data scientists found that a more abbreviated version of that name, Kim, appeared most commonly among executives with the job title of director.
Names and Success
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The first study shows that names can matter: People with familiar and Anglo-sounding names are perceived to be more credible, more likely to be in leadership positions, and are seen as more competent than people with unfamiliar and non-Anglo-sounding names. This is pretty eye-opening stuff. I don’t have an English name, and I’m not exactly new to the workplace either. That being said, people certainly do judge books by their covers, and one’s cover is written on their business card before the first handshake has even been exchanged.
Hard work, skill, and perseverance are undeniably important in achieving success. However, research suggests that even something as simple as a name can influence one's chances. Names that are more common and traditional, such as John, Michael, and Jennifer, still show up more frequently than expected in executive positions, highlighting the complex ways in which identity, perception, and opportunity intersect. Ultimately, the key to understanding the power of a name is to use it as just one more tool in the arsenal for navigating the path to professional advancement.
