What’s in a name?
A couple billion bucks — if you choose wisely.
Brayden, Cayden and Jayden are today’s cool kids’ names for boys, for sure.
But when it comes to attracting capital, kicking it old-school is the name of the game, according to a new study on billionaire baby names.
“We were curious to see if there was any connection between names and billionaire status,” said SEO expert Julian Goldie.
The digital marketing pro analyzed the Bloomberg Billionaire Index to determine which names appear most frequently amongst the top 500 magnates.
He found that traditional tags like “John” and “David” are often assigned to the world’s wealthiest.
“The results might give expectant parents a head start in setting their little ones up for future financial success,” said Goldie, from the UK. “Even if there’s no guarantee they’ll become the next Mark Zuckerberg.”
It’s a 10-figure amount that most mommies and daddies wouldn’t mind bringing home from the hospital.
Buzzy baby names are already beginning to trend amongst moms-to-be on track to give birth in 2025.
A recent report from BabyCenter listed earthy names such as Eclipse, Sol and Orion as popular unisex names for the incoming Gen Beta — little ones who make their debut between next year through 2039.
But Laura Wattenberg, the founder of Namerology, recently agreed with Goldie, saying that tried-and-true titles like Scottie and Stevie will be en vogue come time to change the calendar.
“It’s that throwback sound,” said Wattenberg, “but in a sort of diminutive style.”
Goldie’s list of the 10 most golden names, however, is anything but diminutive. In fact, the big names are all inspired by the Big Guy upstairs.
“John and David top the list with 12 billionaires each,” reads the study, “while holders of the name Mark boast the highest average wealth at $41.2 billion.”
“These classic biblical names claim the top spots for billionaire frequency,” continued the report, “perhaps suggesting there’s something special about these timeless choices.”
Goldie goes on to acknowledge notable tycoons such as John Reece, who built his fortune in chemicals with Ineos, and shipping magnate John Fredriksen.
The top-earning Davids of the world, including British billionaire David Reuben, too, earn some shine.
And Zuckerberg, who boasts an impressive net worth of approximately $198.3 billion, holds it down, handsomely, for Marks worldwide.
“Names like John, David and Michael have stood the test of time, appearing frequently among both historical figures and modern business titans,” said Goldie.
Here are the top moneymaking boy baby names and their total net worth:
- John — $155.3 billion
- David — $118 billion
- Thomas — $100.2 billion
- Michael — $147.1 billion
- Wang — $48.8 billion
- Mark — $205.8 billion
- Charles — $99 billion
- Zhang — $82.5 billion
- Richard — $33.6 billion
- Jim — $114.6 billion
Of course, success is more likely driven by other factors, Goldie added.
“Whether you name your child Mark, Michael, or something completely different,” he said, “the key to success likely has more to do with opportunity, innovation and determination than what’s written on their birth certificate!”
