New research reveals the impact a first name can have on our chances of success.
- Men named John most likely to become billionaires, company directors, and Members of Parliament
- Women named Sarah most likely to become doctors and senior lawyers
- People named Michael and Kate are the most successful in creative industries
- Students named Anna and Thomas are most likely to enjoy academic success
Some of the UK’s top jobs go to men named John, with research revealing they are most likely to be
company directors, Members of Parliament, and win a Nobel Prize. John is also the most common
name among the nation’s 165 billionaires.
For women, the name Sarah is most linked with success. According to the research, conducted by
name label manufacturer MyNametags.com, women named Sarah are almost twice as likely to
become doctors than those with any other female name. They are also most likely to be a Member of
Parliament and become a partner at a law firm.
In sport, athletes named Tom, Harry, Matthew, and Emily are most likely to win an Olympic medal for
Team GB.
Men named Joe dominate the Premier League, while Jack and Alex rank second and third amongst
players in English top-flight clubs. In women’s football, Sophies and Hannahs are most likely to turn
pro in the Women’s Super League.
Davids and Michaels are most likely to be creative types, with the research showing that people with
these names receive the most nominations for Artist of the Year at the Brit Awards.
Michaels also have a high probability of achieving success in literature, alongside Kates, with these
names writing 4% of all best-rated contemporary British novels.
However, when it comes to academic success, those named Anna and Thomas are most likely to
succeed, with the names found to be most common among students at the University of Oxford.
Lars B. Andersen, Managing Director at MyNametags.com, comments: “We’ve been tracking name
trends for over 20 years, and have always been intrigued by the relationship between names and
chances of success. Interestingly, our research suggests that our names can play a role in where life
leads us.
“From the dominance of Johns among UK billionaires to the rise of Sarahs in medicine, these findings
offer a unique perspective on cultural trends. However, looking at the UK’s current most popular baby
names suggests that the millionaires of tomorrow might include a few names, such as Noah, George,
Olivia, and Amelia.”
Most successful male names:
- John
- David
- Thomas
- Andrew
- James
Most successful female names are:
- Sarah
- Hannah
- Anne
- Emma
- Rebecca
Discover the baby names that never go out of fashion.
Methodology
The research analysed data from industry bodies to determine the most common names amongst
several careers including law, medicine, politics, and business.
CONTACT
For more information about the findings, please contact Beth Ship or Jade Middleditch, Energy PR
mynametags@energypr.co.uk or call +44 (0) 1993 823 011
NOTE TO EDITORS
My Nametags is the UK’s leading manufacturer of easy to apply sticker and iron-on name tags and
has been reducing parents’ guilt about losing items since it was founded 15 years ago. The name
tags have thousands of uses, from labelling clothing and stationery to fabric and shoes. Originally
founded in 2004, by Lars B. Andersen, out of a need to label his own children’s belongings, his
ambitious solution has been to create a company capable of manufacturing the best name tags in the
world.
My Nametags now offers a 10-year washing guarantee, which is unmatched in the name tags
industry; its labels having been independently tested to be the best labels in the UK. Over the years,
the company has worked to create and maintain the highly respected reputation for quality and
service that it has today, with a 99 percent customer satisfaction rating, which is unequalled among
label companies. My Nametags is the only name label company in the UK that provides antibacterial
name tags.
My Nametags is a member of Made in Britain and was presented with a Queen’s Award for
International Trade in 2018.
