From the SMH:
Boys growing up with popular names such as Michael, Joshua and Christopher have a good chance of leading law-abiding lives.
But young men named Kareem, Walter or Ivan could run afoul of the law.
That's according to a recent US study that claims the more unpopular, uncommon or feminine a boy's first name, the greater the chance he will end up behind bars.
So true! Going into a classroom I can tell who the trouble maker kids will be by running my eyes down the roll. Parent, take care! (Hm. We called our third son 'Micah'. Should we expect trouble?)
[thanks Nathan]
I still like the name Walter.
ReplyDeletethat's because you read LM Montgomergy!
ReplyDeleteHowever did you guess? :)
ReplyDeleteBut if I ever have a son, I'd consider the fact that there's family history involved, too. (Though, come to think of it, my ancestor Walter was a bit of a trouble-maker!)
Kareem won't be unpopular for long.
ReplyDeleteI think it also depends on what's in the news stories around the time of a child's birth that can influence a parent as to name choice and other people's perceptions of a child with that name. For instance, here in Australia I wouldn't go for "Ivan" in order to save the child from "backpacker murderer" taunts, but if I were living in a northern European country I'd consider it.
My parents apparently considered a name for one of my sisters that they dropped off the short-list as there arose some criminal case where the perpetrator had the name. These days no-one would blink an eye apart from the fact that it's an unusual name.