It’s not Tom, Dick, or Harry.
A new study has revealed that Robert is the most powerful male name in America, with a whopping 21 of the Fortune 500 company CEOs bearing the moniker.
The analysis was conducted by Profit Engine, with the company interested in examining whether a person’s name had an impact on their professional life.
“The patterns we discovered were quite striking,” Jason Morris, CEO of Profit Engline, proclaimed in a press release. “While correlation doesn’t equal causation, these results definitely make you wonder if there’s something to the old saying about names shaping destiny.”
Powerful Americans bearing the name include Disney boss Robert “Bob” Iger and Boeing boss Robert Ortberg. Interestingly, however, no US president has ever been named Robert.
“Robert has been a powerhouse name for decades,” Morris declared. “It projects authority and tradition, both of which are qualities that boards of directors clearly value when selecting leadership.”
Since the year 2000, however, the classic name has fallen far from favor.
That year, it was the 29th most popular name for boys born in the US, according to the Social Security Administration. By 2020, it had fallen to number 80. Last year, it slipped further and is now the 90th most popular boys’ moniker in America.
If you want your son to be a CEO and you’re not a fan of the name Robert, the analysis shows that it’s still best to stick to the classics.
Profit Engine found that male Fortune 500 CEOs were far more likely than the general public to possess traditional names.
After Robert, Michael was revealed to be the second most powerful name, with 19 Fortune 500 CEOs bearing the moniker.
James, John, Christopher, William, David, Mark, Timothy, Brian, Andrew, Thomas and Scott followed in that order.
“These findings reveal something notable about representation in American corporate leadership,” Morris said. “The complete dominance of traditional male names isn’t a coincidence. It reflects decades of systemic patterns in who climbs the corporate ladder.”
“What’s particularly telling is that we’re not seeing the diversity of names that reflects modern America. No Aidens [or] Ethans, despite these being popular baby names in recent decades,” he added. “This suggests either a generational lag or that certain naming conventions still carry unconscious advantages in professional settings.”
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