A name says more than a thousand words:: The social perception of first names

This study presents word norms for 30 male and 30 female German first names (modem, old-fashioned, and timeless) with respect to the perception of age, attractiveness and intelligence of persons with the corresponding name. Participants were 104 younger (less than 30 years) and 42 older (older than 50 years) persons from a community sample. We investigate (1) stereotypes influencing the perception of first names, (2) reasons for the development of timeless names, and (3) name preferences concerning one's own children. Results show that (1) perceptions concerning first names are determined by (perceived) age of the named person as well as the age of the ascribing persons. (2) We discovered two kinds of timeless first names. (3) Name preferences concerning one's own children are influenced by a large number of factors.