The Attractiveness of Names

Abstract

After a brief account of the importance, and neglect, of the psychological study of names, the role of familiarity in liking for names is investigated. Some empirical research on first names and surnames is set in the context of two opposing theories in experimental aesthetics: the “mere exposure” and “inverted-U” hypotheses. A preference-feedback hypothesis that enables us to resolve some apparently contradictory results from the experiments, and to account for the existence of cyclical vogues in first names and other cultural items, is proposed.