Odd names turn boys bad

Last updated 11:01 15/07/2009

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Boys growing up with popular names such as Michael, Joshua and Christopher have a good chance of leading law-abiding lives - but those named Kareem, Walter or Ivan could find themselves on the wrong side of the law.

That's according to a United States study that claims the more unpopular, uncommon or feminine a boy's first name, the greater the chance he will end up behind bars.

Shippensburg University professor David Kalist's report in Social Science Quarterly shows that "unpopular names are likely not the cause of crime", but he explains that factors often associated with those names can "increase the tendency toward juvenile delinquency".

Boys with uncommon names are often ridiculed by peers, come from families of low socioeconomic status and face discrimination in the workforce, according to the study.

The top 10 bad-boy names in the United States - Alec, Ernest, Garland, Ivan, Kareem, Luke, Malcolm, Preston, Tyrell and Walter.

- AP

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tyrell #165 04:44 am Oct 20 2011

yo dis be messed up yo i aint no crimnal

Asa #164 01:45 pm Oct 11 2011

My name in Asa and i've never commited any felonies

Tosh #163 03:52 pm Oct 08 2011

I will name my unwanted fetus "the situation".

typo #162 09:21 pm Jun 12 2011

These are are mild comparied to the crap a lot of people are naming the kids now. I have run across 2 little boys recently named "Divine Angle" and "Myangel".

How many fights do you think your boy will get into being teased about havei the name "Divine"?

AnotherWalter #161 01:07 pm Apr 20 2011

Man. I grew up in a crimeless middle class neighborhood, and I became a felon at age 18. For making bombs. Holy s**t I'm a statistic.

Anon #160 11:56 am Nov 13 2010

I can understand some of these, but... Ivan? Seriously? Didn't the Cold War end two decades ago?

Alec #159 06:47 am Nov 13 2010

Fantastic, I now know what I will do with my life.

bob #158 10:12 am Oct 23 2010

what about the sex

Katrina "the Lamia" Payne #157 10:43 am Sep 10 2010

I am more interested in the names to crime ratios. If I were to name a baby that will slaughter the masses for the average Tuesday, I do not want a name that is more likely to get me a sexual offender.

I need names to crimes ratios here people! I want to be able to make an informed decision!

WALTER #156 03:46 am Nov 14 2009

I suppose I'll have to drop out of college and begin my life of crime. You know, before all the other nefarious Walters get the jump on me.

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