Miss FoxWhile looking around on Xanga (yes, on my time off
), I came across
Dan the Theologian's post about the "hottest guy" on Xanga. I was totally in for this (because who doesn't like looking at a couple of good-looking men?), but quickly changed my opinions of how hot guys were based on one thing.
I was totally thrown off by how I reacted to the guys' author names. While I wanted to base my opinion on just their faces, I couldn't separate their names from their faces. Now I know that these names are not their real names, but that made it even worse for me - they
chose their names. I thought one guy was hot, but then I saw his name, and because I didn't like it, his hotness level went down. Regardless of how good looking he was, I wouldn't have voted for him because of his name choice.
Then it hit me - I do this ALL the time.
I'll hear someone's name and automatically put a face to them. If I hear the name "Tucker," I imagine a dark-haired, charming looking man (see
Tucker Max); if I hear the name Derek, I automatically think of pinstripes and light eyes (mmm, Jeter). If I hear a "hot" name, I think of a "hot" face.
But the same works for the opposite. If I hear a name that I associate an "ugly" face with, I automatically think that person is ugly. For instance - I could never date a man named Homer - sorry, Mr. Simpson, but you're bald and you're a weird orangey-yellow color. And I could never picture a hot guy with the name George (think Costanza, Bush, Washington).
After talking with my friends about this, we've decided that who we've met in the past totally dictates how we perceive names. Every Lauren I have met has been obnoxious or loud, but every Laura I've met has been an absolute sweetheart. My one friend actually went as far as saying, "I could never name my child Bella even though I love the name. The only Bella I ever knew is also the only person I've ever hated."
We also started to talk about how we would name our kids with a "hot name". One friend said, "You'll never find an ugly guy named Jamie, because he'll have to live up to the name. Same with Jackson or Blake - any guy with an original name is going to be a knockout."
Is the name of your significant other important to you? Do you think your name is important to how you look? Has anyone ever said that you "look like "?
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Comments (409)
My Name is Earl..
which kind of sucks cuz I am not white.
I don't think it is a very attractive. Reminds me off a big, fat truck driver that eats 7-11 Hotdogs and taquitos
Yes name is very important. =]
I care whats in a guys heart and head...not what his name is.
I never thought about it much...but I guess it does affect my thinking a little bit! My friend that I dated for two months was named Philip, or Phil for short. It sounds a bit dorky, and in high school he was somewhat dorky, but still very attractive :)
I think cool names tend to make people seem more cool. My full name, though...It doesn't sound like a movie star name or anything...it's kind of boring, so perhaps that's why a lot of guys aren't really interested in me, haha...
I wanna name my first daughter Olivia...after Olivia Benson from Law & Order :)
P.S. I also think that an attractive guy with a not-so-attractive name can even make the name look better. At least for me, it removes that negative association that I previously had with that name.
My name is Eliraz. I changed it to Eliraz from something else; that probably says more about me than the name itself says.
@chilled_roses8523@xanga - Awgh.
Well, I think you're cute.. even if you have a "fat truck driver that eats 7-11 Hotdogs and taquitos" name.
Funny you said Blake. The last guy I was with was definitely hot, and has put a good perception on that name for me.
I could never picture good-looking people that had the same names as men in my family. It would freak me out, ya know?
And I'm afraid to have girls for children because so many with nice names were total whores at my high school. I can't name my kid with a whoreish name!
Wow. Judging someone from their name is like judging a book by its cover when you haven't really met them and get to know them on a one to one basis.
Names are names. It shouldn't define who a person is. Sometimes or almost all the time, they don't have a choice to choose their own name.
I don't really judge other people by their names.. that's just kinda weird. But my own name (Grace) seems to fit me pretty well, although I consider it boring sometimes. I like "Jocelyn", it sounds very nice and pretty =)
Oh funny story, my ex's name is Will and a lot of people had said how we're like the tv show LOL, except he's not gay.
@xthread@xanga - Never heard of that name before but it sounds cool!
i think it's irrelevant. I know hott chicks with guy names, ugly guys with great names, ethnic people with broke ass 1950's american names, and my name is Huey. Nope, I gotta call bullshit factor on this one.
actually, what do you think I look like, since you know my name now?
Never thought of it but I guess before I meet someone I might think of them based on name sterotypes but once I meet a person it is all about who they are and not about their name.............~ Echo
I am quite like that too, only it doesn't affect their attractiveness, it just affects how I perceive their personality to be. When deciding what to name my daughter, I looked past names like Christine, Christina, and Amanda because I don't like a few people with those names.
Or when choosing a name if my baby were to be a boy...anyone I ever dated or whoever was mean to me, those names were not options.
I ended up going with a name I've never known ANYONE to have...Lena.
Interesting. My name is Steven. *shrug* Psychology is fun. I wonder what Freud would say about dating guys that have the same name as your father/mother? Chew on that for a bit...
I'd like to say that I don't judge people based on their names, since they don't usually have a say in what they're called.
But, I think everyone associates some names with certain people or things.
I don't pre-judge people based on their names, however there are some names I would never EVER name a child. Two that come to mind are Rachel and Phil.
@Simply_Cynical@xanga - Huey makes me think of those old cartoons with Donald Duck's nephews.... Huey, Dewey, and Louie. So I picture a cartoon duck.
I sometimes do that too. I met a really cute guy once with the name Jeff, and I have since then associated that name with cute guys. But that's about it. I don't really judge based on names.
My name is Morgan, so...what does that mean?
I have a very unique name and people usually think I'm a black girl and put in extra letters and accents when they say it.
i feel that way, too, but if i know the person with a weird name long enough, i can get past it pretty easily.
George Clooney? Mmmmmmm...
My first bf had a pretty "ugly" name.. but that didn't stop me from dating him. I never liked my name before because people told me it sounded like an old lady name, but now I don't mind it at all!
Haha, my younger brother's name is Blake, so Blake will never be a "hot" name for me.
I do that too, we all do without realizing it probably.
I wonder what people think when they hear my name (Krista)...? Idk, it's hard to do it with your own name lol.
I wouldn't date or not date someone on the basis of their name; however, there are several names that I'm wary of due to people with certain names having very similar (and unattractive) personality traits (which is based upon my own and others observations/interactions of people with those names).
In any case, a name shouldn't carry more weight on your opinion of a person than their personality/actions. Names can be changed, personalities cannot.
*shrug* My name is Jessica. My boyfriend's youngest sister's name is also Jessica. He doesn't seem to have a problem with it.
However, his sister actually goes by Jessica, whereas I much prefer Jessi.
Perhaps that's why. Bahaha.
names really do form peoples opinions on how we're seen...people think exotic, black, or blond for my name...and it's slightly annoying to me when they see I'm just a white girl with dark hair and say oh, that's not how I imagined you would look.
I love the name John, which is my boyfriend's name. ^^ But it's a very popular name, too, so I don't associate it with any particular stereotype. (I mean, there's John Kerry, John McCain, John Travolta, and a billion others I probably don't know about. I can't put the name to any one face.)
I wouldn't judge a person by that sort of thing, but if they had a not-very-good name I'd feel bad for them. But I think I'd eventually get used to it. I didn't like the name Ed until I started reading FMA, after all....