First names can tell a lot about a person, a top 5 of remarkable facts.

1. Boy names have pretty much stayed the same in the last 100 years whilst there are more and more girl names. We are much more tolerant to ‘funny’ girl names. This is because we unconsciously imagine a more professional career for our boys.
2. Trendy names are per definition time bound. Therefore people can guess the age quite precisely. Take Martin, he is likely 35-40.
3. In England people with traditional names with a royal association are regarded as more successful and intelligent. James and Elizabeth are on the top of the list of ‘successfull’ names.
4. People in lower social classes choose more often for exotic, unknown names and are inspired by soaps and pop-stars. Higher social classes are more attracted to traditional names.
5. The first name is a strong indicator if you read a paper or have a mobile phone. Believe it or not, dutch publisher Wegener connects first name to consumer information and hopes to get more grip on the target group for their sales. According to the publisher a couple that calls their child Emiel are likely to have a newspaper subscription and Laura’s parents participate in a lottery.