4 ms·

Whenever I read about this, I wonder at what point it's worth changing your name. Your name is kind of a weird thing, even though it seems like such an ingraine

by bsirkia 13y ago

Whenever I read about this, I wonder at what point it's worth changing your name. Your name is kind of a weird thing, even though it seems like such an ingrained part of you, you can legally change it to something that would freakonomically make you better off.

ars_technician 13y ago
I think the name is just a correlation, not a causation. To put it bluntly, you won't fail because your name is "London", you will probably fail because you grew up with a parent that thought London was a good name for a person. Changing your name is just hiding the symptom, not the cause.
- jaytaylor 13y ago
  Even still, might it be worth it to change ones name if it makes a measurable improvement in the odds?
  - AmVess 13y ago
    My real name is Richard Monroe Niksonn, which rules out a career in politics.
  - bsirkia 13y ago
    Right that's what I mean. Your odds go up in those situations by changing your name.
- stevewillows 13y ago
  Further to this, it would be important to include the names of siblings and parents along with their career paths. Someone who names their kid 'Orangejello' (pronounced: or-onj-ello) may not teach their kids the same things as someone who names their kid 'Tom'.
- ttuominen 13y ago
  According to the article, that's just part of it. They specifically pointed out cases where identical resumes with different names yielded different outcomes. (Where the names had strong associations with different ethnic backgrounds.) Now, statistically, different ethnic backgrounds will have an effect on people's lives, but for an individual, the parent's question might still be relevant.
im3w1l 13y ago
I think only 3 people in the world share my first/last name combination. One of them has been convicted for possesion of child porn. That's especially funny due to my interest in cryptography, and counter surveillance. I have considered changing my name, but I am undecided. Advice?
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
- dredmorbius 13y ago
  Alternatively: you've got great cover for illicit activities. "It wasn't me, but someone else with the same name." Though honestly, given the state of bureaucratic snafus, changing it might be wise.
mturmon 13y ago
A testimonial from a HN'er who did a name change for various reasons revolving around removing friction: http://www.flownet.com/ron/eg-rg-faq.html http://www.flownet.com/ron/eg-rg-faq.html
- yummyfajitas 13y ago
  I answered to an Indianized version of my name (Chris -> Krish, Krishna) when I lived there. A standard name just makes life simpler.
kintamanimatt 13y ago
The only thing that really matters about your name is how you feel about it. If you cringe every time you hear it, or it somehow makes you unhappy, its probably time to change it. Hopefully you're a citizen of a country that readily permits such a thing. The only time it'd be good to change your name for professional reasons is if you're coincidentally an investment banker called Bernard Madoff, but even then that could possibly be worked in your favor.

by bsirkia 13y ago

ars_technician 13y ago

I think the name is just a correlation, not a causation. To put it bluntly, you won't fail because your name is "London", you will probably fail because you grew up with a parent that thought London was a good name for a person. Changing your name is just hiding the symptom, not the cause.

jaytaylor 13y ago
Even still, might it be worth it to change ones name if it makes a measurable improvement in the odds?
- AmVess 13y ago
  My real name is Richard Monroe Niksonn, which rules out a career in politics.
- bsirkia 13y ago
  Right that's what I mean. Your odds go up in those situations by changing your name.
stevewillows 13y ago
Further to this, it would be important to include the names of siblings and parents along with their career paths. Someone who names their kid 'Orangejello' (pronounced: or-onj-ello) may not teach their kids the same things as someone who names their kid 'Tom'.
ttuominen 13y ago
According to the article, that's just part of it. They specifically pointed out cases where identical resumes with different names yielded different outcomes. (Where the names had strong associations with different ethnic backgrounds.) Now, statistically, different ethnic backgrounds will have an effect on people's lives, but for an individual, the parent's question might still be relevant.

im3w1l 13y ago

I think only 3 people in the world share my first/last name combination. One of them has been convicted for possesion of child porn. That's especially funny due to my interest in cryptography, and counter surveillance. I have considered changing my name, but I am undecided. Advice?

deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
dredmorbius 13y ago
Alternatively: you've got great cover for illicit activities. "It wasn't me, but someone else with the same name." Though honestly, given the state of bureaucratic snafus, changing it might be wise.

mturmon 13y ago

A testimonial from a HN'er who did a name change for various reasons revolving around removing friction: http://www.flownet.com/ron/eg-rg-faq.html http://www.flownet.com/ron/eg-rg-faq.html

yummyfajitas 13y ago
I answered to an Indianized version of my name (Chris -> Krish, Krishna) when I lived there. A standard name just makes life simpler.

kintamanimatt 13y ago

The only thing that really matters about your name is how you feel about it. If you cringe every time you hear it, or it somehow makes you unhappy, its probably time to change it. Hopefully you're a citizen of a country that readily permits such a thing. The only time it'd be good to change your name for professional reasons is if you're coincidentally an investment banker called Bernard Madoff, but even then that could possibly be worked in your favor.