It shouldn’t, but it does. Our names mould the assumptions of others around our characters, personalities, and capabilities, consequently influencing who we become.

• It has been found that your name is associated with several later characteristics you develop. Research studies have established that a person’s name is related to how people see them. This revealed that there are common perceptions between people’s physical characteristics, and assumptions of their names. At a basic level, this demonstrates the fact that people are ultimately judged for a name that they did not choose, which is going to impact who you become.
• Arguably, each name is associated with certain characteristics, behaviours, and features which can then often unfairly impact how they are viewed and treated. This has led to the formation of stereotypes and inaccurate assumptions that can damage someone’s access to opportunities.
• Whilst name discrimination is completely wrong and illegal, it does unfortunately happen in many industries. For example, this can be as simple as the alphabetical position of your name on registers which can impact how you are subconsciously treated by a teacher or boss. Moreover, your name can also signal your gender which highlights another form of discrimination. In a research study where, identical CVs were distributed to employers, differing only by traditionally male and female names, gender discrimination was found to exist both ways. In typically male jobs, such as engineering, those with typically male names were more likely to be hired over females. Similarly, in stereotypically female jobs, such as administration, the researchers found that more women were hired over men. Research supports the fact that your name does largely impact the likelihood that you are hired, which I would argue shapes the kind of person you become.
• I think that whether it’s how we’re treated at school, or the career path we end up taking, the name we’re given at birth, does impact the assumptions people form about us. Therefore, I would consider it accurate to state that your name does influence who you become - whether I agree that it should or not.

I don’t believe the name you are given has any direct influence on the actions we as individuals take. It is just a label for our persons. However, a name may affect the way other people treat you, as such these external factors may influence who you become.

• In a study conducted by BBC, two identical CV’s were sent out to the same companies. The only thing that differed between the two were the names. One was for an applicant named ‘Adam’, a more traditionally English sounding name whereas the other had ‘Mohammed’, a traditional Muslim name. Despite the matching CV’s, Adam was offered 12 interviews whereas Mohammed was only offered 4.
• In light of this, it is possible to say that our name can influence who we become. In the study mentioned above, if this interview would mean the difference between one obtaining a stable income or not, this would have a knock effect for the following course of actions. Who knows what could have resulted from said interview and how it shaped who they become?

The significance of our name during our school years can have a significant impact on who we become

• One way in which your name influences who you become that has not yet been commented upon is during school when we are placed alphabetically.
• Curiously, over the years I have noticed a phenomenon that those who I have known for 20+ years, since childhood, have been very close with those whose surnames begin with the same letter.
• I personally know of countless examples of individuals whose closest friends and acquaintances are those who they were placed next to on the first day of the school year, or even on their first ever day of school at the age of 4 years old, because they were alphabetically adjacent on the class register.
• Those who one may meet and form relationships with simply because of their name play a huge part in who they will become, particularly people during their most influential years in early childhood and adolescence.
• Of course, this does not apply everywhere and in every situation, however I think it is an interesting example of how one's name can influence who we become.

I think it does, but it does not have to; names are not static, travelling and living abroad will broaden your perspective.