in the book Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything a 2005 non-fiction book by University of Chicago economist Steven Levitt and New York Times journalist Stephen J. Dubner, there are several chapters devoted to naming. I don’t remember the entire gist, but I remember two stories of names determining destiny, or not.
The first was a girl named “Temptress.” She was a 15-year old girl whose misdeeds landed her in juvenile court due to her ungovernable behavior. Her mother meant to name her “Tempestt” after a favorite actress, but there was a slip between intent and what went on the birth certificate, and the mother admitted to not really knowing what the word ‘temptress’ meant until much later. The judge asked the mother if some of the ungovernable behavior might stem from here name.
The other story involved two brothers from the Lane family of New York. The first one was named “Winner.” Three years later, a younger brother was born and named, “Loser.” He was not so-named because the father who did the naming was displeased with the new baby, but because it had a nice bookend effect.
Loser Lane did in fact succeed. He went to prep school on a scholarship, graduated from Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, and joined the New York Police Department, where he made detective and, eventually, sergeant. Although he never hid his name, many people were uncomfortable using it. To his police colleagues today, he is known as Lou.
And what of his brother? The most noteworthy achievement of Winner Lane, now in his late 40s, is the sheer length of his criminal record: more than 30 arrests for burglary, domestic violence, trespassing, resisting arrest, and other mayhem.
Was it their names that determined their path in life?
Was it her name that sent Temptress down the wrong path, or was it the mother who just didn’t care enough to give her baby a decent name?