If negatively perceived names contribute to social rejection, than people with negative names should have lower self esteem, be more likely to smoke, and not as educationally advanced as their positively named peers.
The researchers looked at tens of thousands of online dating profiles that were created by users with "extremely" or only "somewhat" positive or negative names.
As the researchers had hypothesised, those with the more positively ranked names received more interactions on the dating site, while those with negative names received fewer interactions.
Also in line with the researchers' predictions, those with negative names were more likely to have lower self-esteem, to have less education, and regularly smoke.
A study conducted by researchers in Germany and North Carolina found that people whose names are perceived positively are more likely to enjoy positive social interactions, while people with negative names are more likely to suffer social rejection.
"The negative names are cumbersome and cause more problems," Mr. Siegel said, adding that he preferred renamings like Citigroup, the combination of Citicorp with Travelers, or standing pat, as when Hewlett-Packard acquired Compaq Computer and retained the Hewlett-Packard name.
