What's in a name?

I have always thought that having a surname starting with the letter 'A' was more an advantage than a disadvantage. Now Professor Richard Wiseman at the University of Hertfordhsire ( and others before him) provide evidence to confirm this.

The professor wanted to know if people who had a surname that began with a letter near the start of the alphabet were more successful in life than those with names towards the end. Past research had given him good reason to think so.

Using 15000 volunteers his questioning revealed that those whose surnames began with letters at the beginning of the alphabet rated themselves a significantly more successful overall than those with surnames with lowly end-of-alphabet initials. The surname effect was especially pronounced when it came to career, suggesting that alphabetical discrimination is alive and well in the workplace.

The effect was more visible in men than in women and more pronounced in older age groups.

As to why this should be so is another matter. Possibly coming first or top in various scenarios because of one's surname affects personal perception of oneself and so believe aids reality.