Maaike Mudde? I'm screwed.

Make Mud. Mickey Muddy. Mike Moody. Life is hard with the name Maaike Mudde. (Micah Mooduh) I say that with a smile, but in reality, not many people understand what it's like to have a hard-to-pronounce name. And it's one thing to have a unique first name, or a weird last name. But Maaike Mudde? It doesn't get much worse than that.
Unfortunately for me, this article reports on a study that reveals that people with easier to pronounce names are more favored and leave better impressions than those with hard to pronounce names. The study was of 500 lawyers around the country, and found that the lawyers with the most pronounceable names, not the ethnic origin of the names, were more likely and quicker to rise to superior positions in their firm.
I can understand why this is true. I can see why people subconsciously look more positively on names that don't give them trouble to say.
I've seen the wrath of having a bizarre name play out already. Recently, I emailed the president of a health clinic to inquire about a volunteer position. When I went to the clinic to interview and tour the facility, the president made a comment like, "wow, I have to say I wasn't sure what to expect, but I'm really glad you're joining the team!" I wasn't sure what she meant or how to respond. "I mean... your name...." I realized that all she knew about me before this interview was the email I wrote and, most importantly, my name. She had judged me by my name, and the foreignness of it had made her completely unsure of me as a person, even before she had met me.
Yeah--it's a hard life with the name Maaike Mudde.



http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/03/having-a-simple-name-is-good-in-the-workplace/253555/