The Best Relationship Of Your Life Will Probably Be With Someone Whose Name Starts With This Letter, Says Survey
What's in a name? More than you would think.
Jose Calsina / Shutterstock What are the factors that go into finding a date? What are dealbreakers, and what gets your attention? While there are the obvious things — like someone who you're attracted to and who shares a similar sense of humor — there are other factors that go into determining your next mate, as small as the first letter of their name.
Do you believe there's enough to judge someone's potential relationship material by just the initial of their first name? A new study by Shane Co. says yes, there is. Researchers asked over 2,100 participants to recall the names of the people they had the best and worst date experiences with. From there, they analyzed which names and initials were more commonly associated with good or bad relationships.
The study revealed that names that start with J were associated with the best date experiences in the most states.
Participants from 20 different states reported having the best date experiences with people with names that start with the letter J. Out of all states surveyed, the researchers concluded that you're most likely to have a good date with a John or a Jessica.
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The initial M was also cited for good experiences in 10 states. Other initials that were mentioned for positive romantic encounters were A, B, C, R, and S. However, the survey didn't specify the ratio of genders for these results.
Interestingly, people with J names were also the most associated with the worst date experiences.
Apparently, going on a date with someone with a J name is a real toss-up. 21 states said their worst romantic encounters were with people with names that start with J. However, this could just be due to the fact that names that start with J are extremely common for both men and women.
Nearly 1 in 10 Americans believe certain initials mean someone is toxic. Forty-nine percent of those who believe in toxic initials said they viewed "J" as one of the worst offenders.
According to the survey, your initials have a lot more to do with your love life than you realize, and might even deter people from dating you. In our defense, we can't change our names, but the heart wants what it wants (If you've ever dated a Josh, you understand.)
People who have names that start with J often share certain personality traits.
Andre Zen, known on TikTok as @thezen.one, shared in a video that "Every letter carries with it a unique vibration that influences your personality more and more as you go through life." He claimed that the letter J in a name signifies individuality and initiative, and that these people love to be in positions of leadership and authority.
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"J people tend to be more idealistic, intellectual, and prefer to live the high life," Zen added. Despite these qualities, he said people with J names prefer to weigh their options when making decisions, causing them to hesitate or miss out on opportunities.
He concluded, "Js need to work on their uncertainties, their fears, their hesitations, their insecurity. They need to work on not imposing their authority on others and/or excesses of ego." If you have a J name, do you find that your name helps or burdens your dating life?
Should you base your dating game on the name of your potential partner? Probably not, but if a "J" or "M" name crosses your path and you would have normally said no, maybe it's worth a yes. The worst that could happen is you skip the second date!
Isabel Steger is YourTango's assistant editor. She has her Bachelor’s Degree in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago and over 2 years of experience as an editor covering relationships, parenting, and human interest topics.
