"Well now, heh heh, that's kinda nice to know!"
Posted on 01/28/2009 8:35:43 PM PST by Steelfish
Study links unusual surnames to criminality
Jennifer Harper Thursday, January 29, 2009
Mama, stick with Michael. But Malcolm? Maybe not.
A man's first name can predict his criminal tendencies, according to research released Wednesday by economists who compared crime statistics and a roster of more than 15,000 first names to reveal a distinct "name-crime link" among American males.
The more unpopular or uncommon the name, the greater the chance the lad will end up in jail, said David E. Kalist and Daniel Y. Lee of Shippensburg University.
"Regardless of race, juveniles with unpopular names are more likely to engage in criminal activity," the study said.
It applied succinct values to the names - Michael, for example, was rated at 100, and the least likely name to be associated with juvenile delinquency. David was in the middle at 50, with Alec, Ernest, Ivan, Malcolm and Tyrell languishing with a 1-point rating.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Looks like somebody smacked some sense into the headline writer since your post — maybe somebody reading FR?
Is it the name or is the fault with the type of parents who give their children weird names?
Yep. I've always thought that a mother that mis-pronounces or mis-spells a relatively common name -- and has nobody to correct her -- will provide a less than optimal learning environment for young Anfernee.
"Combination" names of the non-redneck variety -- ShawnJay, etc., seem to be disproportionately represented in the smash-and-grab stories here on FR as well.
And to potential rebuttals I understand the difference between "every" and "many".
How many inmates have the first and middle names of:
William Robert.AKA
Odd first names linked to criminality
I guess they finally figured out just what a surname was.
Harlod Hecuba
I have always wondered if Anfernee Hardaway (NBA Player) should have been named Anthony Hardaway, but his name was mis-pronounced and subsequently mis-spelled on his birth certificate.
It this part of the country, Dwayne and Darrel (and all their other spellings) are very popular middle names for criminals in training.
BOYS NAMES: Amber, Canard, Chalance, Cigarette, Cook, Dang, De-Ante, De-rice, De-arse, Delante, Dell, Devoid, Diante, Farad, Ferric, FoFo, Lathe, Marshantose, Natron, Raytheon, Romain, Rondel, T’Corian, Sheik, Talon, Tauraus, Tobacco, Tron, and Wait
GIRLS NAMES: Arthurine, Baileen, Brie, Butterfly, Cambria, Chanel, Choclate, Ciera, Deja, Destiny, Hosanna, Java, Kia, Latrina, Lavoria, Milka, Monay, Necia, Necie, Ocolor, Phalopia, Phyla, Raven, Regime, Tandy, Tea, TyLenol, Unique, Yelling, and Yo-Yo
I bet a study of boys with names that are derivatives of Mohammed shows a greater likelihood of their being involved in terrorist activities. That doesn’t, of course, have anything to do with the name but with the culture in which that name is popular.
But having a name like Chamique doesn't hurt your chances getting into Tennessee.
“And naming your child Shaniqua can’t possibly help get her into Yale).”
You forgot the sarcasm tag.
“And, I’m amazed that people who are paid to use words for a living don’t understand their meanings (and can’t spell either).”
Did you go to the link?
“Amazing. This is a Washington Times writer. It took me all of 15 seconds to verify that surname means family name. And that was for two different references—Wikipedia and Dictionary.com.”
Did you look at the title at the link?
“And naming your child Shaniqua can’t possibly help get her into Yale).”
You forgot the sarcasm tag.
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