Chad, Doc and Reginald walk into a bar!

I’ve been thinking about people’s names and the implications of having those particular names since birth. What does it mean for your future when your parents make that crucial decision? Do parents typically even consider the gravity of a name? I often hear that people are named after family members or friends or just what their parents liked at the time. But what if we knew for a fact that our names heavily influenced our personalities and our direction in life?

If you’re reading this you know my name is Filip. Filip Filipovic. If you’re American, you most likely don’t know anybody else by that name and you think it’s pretty unique. If you’re from any of the Balkan countries in Eastern Europe, you probably know of more than one person with my name. In fact when I Instagram search myself (because I have absolutely no shame) there’s a decent list of results. So I got to thinking what I might have in common with all of these people that could be attributed to just sharing our name. I mean it’s hard to deny that my full name is pretty catchy and unique. But does that mean that having it makes me more memorable or noticeable than if I were a John Smith?

Okay, sorry— enough about me.

Let’s talk about the name “Chad”. Unfortunately for all the Chads of the world, it’s undeniable that their name has a certain connotation. You probably have noticed it’s even become a meme. The archetypal Chad is a guy that’s super laid back, likes to party, doesn’t sound smart when he talks, and maybe wears sunglasses indoors. Sorry to all of them that don’t match this description. But I’ve met one too many Chads that are SUCH Chads to believe that it’s purely a coincidence. If you name your child Chad, is he doomed to a life of being exactly that? My intuition is that it doesn’t have to be the case. But it probably will be.

Think about it this way. It’s not that being a Chad inherently means you feel a certain way on the inside. It’s about the way other people treat you. When people meet a Chad, they assume things about him and then they act differently towards him. This is undeniable and the way others interact with you right off the bat can immediately shape your reaction. It’s like a form of social conditioning. Therefore Chad’s friends shape Chad’s behavior, making him more…Chad.

If you don’t agree, let’s test this out a bit.

If someone introduces himself to you as Reginald,  you don’t think you might subconsciously start using less slang and curse words? I know I can see myself standing up straighter and speaking more articulately all of a sudden.

If someone introduces himself as Doc or Mack, you don’t think you might subconsciously change your tone to be more relaxed and friendly? I know I can see myself suddenly letting my guard down and randomly using some classic dad-expressions that I otherwise would never say.

And if someone introduces himself as Lone Howling Wolf, then you’re speaking to a Native American.

Okay sorry, I had to 😀

The point is what you name your child matters. But mostly it matters only for names that already have a connotation (like Chad, Reginald or Doc) or names that are very unique. More common names that haven’t had any image attached to them yet probably have more negligible impacts. But they all still matter.

I guess I’m just trying to say if you’re going to name your kid, please think long and hard about that decision. And if you’re reading this then you already have a name. So try thinking about how yours may have impacted you. Maybe it’ll make you see things differently.

Filip, again.