A Career Studying Names: What’s In a Name?

Lansky’s latest endeavor involves rating names with a five-star system, similar to the rating systems used for movies, hotels, and mutual funds. The new book is called 5-Star Baby Name Advisor and it comes out in April 2008.

The book rates names with one to five stars based on six specific criteria: first impression, gender association, popularity and trend, spelling, pronunciation, and versatility.

“A five-star name is like a car with a good ride and good performance that is going to hold its value well,” Lansky says. “Versatility is very important in names, especially in the professional world.”

“A name must be useful for a child and for an adult,” Lansky says. “Some names, like Missy, just don’t work well in a professional setting. If you’re a woman stuck with a name like that, you might want to consider changing it.”