Article ID: 38.1
Initials of first names of men and women were compared across different countries (Japan, USA, Germany, and South Korea) and different periods (Japanese adults in 2006, and college students in 2008 and 2017). Results suggested a trend in which the letters, “J,” “R,” and “T” are more popular in men than in women, and that “A,” “C,” “E,” and “M” are more popular in women than in men, whereas popular first names differ among countries and change across periods even within the same country (Japan). The phonetic sounds of the initials popular for men give a “hard” impression, and those of the initials popular with women are perceived as “soft.”
