Does Your Name Predict Happiness or Success?

This is from AOL...so take it with a grain of salt!

You might be well versed in the meaning of your name, but do you know how your name is viewed by others? David Holmes, a psychologist in the UK, believes that the happiest (and unhappiest) people tend to have certain names. Why? Positive or negative associations we make with names -- such as a chipper TV character named Pam or seemingly unhappy actor called Owen -- rub off on people with those names. Furthermore, he claims that people tend to change their personalities to match the perceptions of their names.

Another British psychologist, Richard Wiseman, unveiled findings from an experiment in which 7,000 people were given a list of common male and female names and asked which they considered to be lucky, attractive and successful. Names like James and Elizabeth rated high for success while Lisa and Brian did not. Experts believe that names hold historical significance: Elizabeth, a royal name, may connote a sense of power, while another name may be associated with defeat or disaster.

The jury is still out on whether having a name that rates high on the success scale will give you an advantage professionally, but it's something to consider when giving a child a more unusual name, like those celebrities often choose. Keep in mind, however, that these name rankings might have an obvious British bias to them.

Here's a look at how names in the survey stacked up in order:

Most Successful: James, Elizabeth, Caroline, Richard, Michael, Helen, Olivia, William, Andrew and Amanda

Least Successful: Brian, Lisa, Ryan, Lucy, Stephen, Katie, Emily, Lewis, Julie and Ian

Most Lucky: Jack, Lucy, Katie, Christ, Lisa, Sophie, Ryan, Peter, James, Emma

Least Lucky: Helen, Elizabeth, John, Ann, Thomas, Caroline, Karen, Jane, Richard, William

Most Attractive: Sophie, Ryan, James, Rachel, Olivia, Karen, Katie, Jack, Sarah, Chris

Least Attractive: Ann, Jane, George, Thomas, Peter, Helen, John, Elizabeth, Richard, Caroline