Has anyone ever said you looked like a Bob, or mistakenly kept referring to you as Deborah? You might want to take their error as a compliment, inferring you’ve got corner office appeal oozing from your pores.
Earlier this year, the online professional networking site LinkedIn conducted an analysis of more than 100 million user profiles and found out there may be something to that old adage “the name says it all.”
The study found that an excessive number of CEOs tend to have the same first names. CEOs tend to have names that are easy to spell and hard to make fun of in the schoolyard. Perhaps that’s why there are more U.S. CEOs named Sally or Jack than Guinevere or Bubba.
The top five most common CEO names for males in the analysis were Peter, Bob, Jack, Bruce and Fred. For female CEOs, the top names were Deborah, Sally, Debra, Cynthia and Caroline. Makes you think twice about the wisdom of having a little Debbie, doesn’t it?
As August tops the calendar for the most births, there is still time for expectant parents to begin helping Junior plan his or her ascent to the CEO suite. But what if it’s too late and the name has been bestowed? That’s my personal excuse for landing outside of the boardroom.
Well, the LinkedIn survey found a correlation between certain names and particular vocations.
For example, a large number of engineers tended to be named Rajesh and Jeremy, and a significant number of restaurant owners were named Thierry, Phillippe and Laurent. Is it just me or does the study sound dangerously close to cultural profiling?
Many of LinkedIn’s members working in human resources held the name Emma, Katie or Claire, while a high number of members in the athletics field were named Ryan, Matt and Jessica.
Before you consider changing your name in order to improve your golf score, it pays to consider a few other facts that the LinkedIn survey ignored.
First and foremost, correlation does not mean causality, as I love to tell friends who are global-warming proponents. Second, like car models, sideburns and skirt lengths, names come in and out of style. There is little doubt that the next generation of CEOs will include more than a few Briannas and Jacobs.
Finally, and perhaps most logical, even though the LinkedIn survey looked at 100 million profiles, it examined only the profiles of LinkedIn members. It is highly probable that more than a few people not listed on LinkedIn have been too busy inking big deals, saving lives and changing the world to sign up for an online networking service.
Nonetheless, there may still be something to the naming business. Have you ever met an inhospitable Dolly or a wild Winifred? As the saying goes, a Rose is still a rose.
Susan Miller is owner of Ewing Miller Communications, an Anderson-based marketing and public relations consulting firm. Her column appears in the Herald Bulletin on Thursdays. Write to her at susan@ewingmiller.com.
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Susan Miller: What's in a name? Maybe a CEO suite
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