Signaling Race, Ethnicity, and Gender with Names: Challenges and Recommendations

A growing body of research uses names to cue experimental subjects about race, ethnicity, and gender. However, researchers have not explored the myriad characteristics that might be signaled by these names. We introduce a large, publicly available database of the attributes associated with common American first and last names. For 1,000 first names and 21 last names, we provide ratings of perceived race; for 336 first names, we provide ratings on 26 social and personal characteristics. We show that the traits associated with first names vary widely, even among names associated with the same race and gender. Researchers using names to signal group memberships are thus likely cuing a number of other attributes. We demonstrate the importance of name selection by replicating Christopher DeSante’s “Working Twice as Hard to Get Half as Far.” We conclude by outlining two approaches researchers can use to choose names that successfully cue race (and gender) while minimizing potential confounds.