- Olivia and Jack revealed as the most ‘date-able’ names in Britain
- Barry makes a surprise appearance as second most popular men’s name, while Sharon makes top three among females
- Research shows a person’s name can lead to an 8% swing in favourability on dating websites
- Wayne is the least popular men’s name, while Ava is bottom of the girls’ chart
- In the latest LoveGeist report, match.com asked single Britons* to select which names they would most and least like to go on a date with (YouGov)
London, December 2013: It seems everything’s alright for Jack, and things are even looking up for Barry! A study from dating service match.com has revealed the UK’s most ‘date-able’ names, with a few surprising results.
Olivia topped the list of girl’s names, closely followed by perennial favourite, Chloe, while in the boys’ category Jack took the title. However, in a shock turn up for the books, Barry came out as the second most successful boy’s name, while Sharon was named number three among the girls.
As part of its fifth annual LoveGeist Report, match.com asked single Britons* to select which names they would most and least like to go on a date with. Working with online research house YouGov, the dating service then selected the top and bottom five and tested them visually, showing a panel of over 10,000 people a different version of the same profile with only the name changed. Respondents were simply asked whether they would or wouldn’t consider dating the person they were presented with**.
Surprisingly, some of the names which were expected to be less popular confounded expectations: Barry finished second in the ‘date-ability’ charts, ahead of more conventional favourites such as Matt, David and Dan. Sharon was seen to be more date-able than Emily and Kate, while Chantelle was sexier than Sophie. The results showed an increase in favourability of up to 8% for the most well-liked names when all other profile details were identical.
Some names, however, didn’t fare so well. Wayne was the worst-performing men’s name of those tested, while Alex also failed to ignite passion. Among women’s names, Ava was the least favourite, followed by Tracy and Deborah.
Thankfully match.com has the largest community of singles , (can we use another another word) with more Jacks, Olivias, Matts, Chloes and Davids, than any other paid dating service in the UK.
‘Date-ability’ rankings (men’s names):
- Jack (41% of British females would consider dating the profile)
- Barry (40%)
- Riley (38%)
- Trevor (38%)
- Matt (37%)
- David (37%)
- Nigel (37%)
- Dan (34%)
- Alex (34%)
- Wayne (33%)
‘Date-ability’ rankings (women’s names):
- Olivia (58% of British males would consider dating the profile)
- Chloe (58%)
- Sharon (57%)
- Emily (57%)
- Kate (56%)
- Chantelle (56%)
- Sophie (55%)
- Deborah (54%)
- Tracy (52%)
- Ava (50%)
Kate Taylor, resident relationship expert at match.com, comments: “Everyone’s views on names are subjective and influenced by their upbringing, peers and even people they knew at school. It can be very easy to make a judgement on someone’s personality based on their name – but this is a meaningless assumption.
“I’d always encourage online daters to review the full profile before making a snap decision, otherwise you’re likely to find yourself missing out on some fantastic dates with lovely people. You could also try meeting people face to face at a match.com night. Then you can get to know what makes the person tick rather than focusing on a name”.
To meet the Jack, Olivia, Barry or Chloe of your dreams, visit match.com.
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Notes to Editors:
* Single Britons who were actively seeking a relationship
**Only responses from heterosexual respondents were included in totals
Since it was launched in 2009, match.com’s definitive annual LoveGeist study has tracked changing attitudes towards dating and relationships in the UK and Ireland, taking into account the views and attitudes of over 200,000 people. The report has built up a unique picture of what people really care about when it comes to dating and relationships, providing an insight into current and emerging trends.
About the research:
Research undertaken by YouGov, interpretation by Brands2Life.
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 11760 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 15th – 22nd November 2013. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
After clarifying their gender and sexuality, respondents were randomly shown one profile with the only difference being one of ten names. The total heterosexual male sample size was 4,921. The total heterosexual female sample size was 5,536.
LoveGeist study: Total sample size was 2,178 adults who are single (i.e. not in a committed relationship), of which 393 were actively seeking a relationship / dating. The sample included singles from a nationally representative study and those from 8 regional conurbations. Fieldwork was undertaken between 4th – 11th September 2013. The survey was carried out online. The figures are unweighted.