Naming expert says it’s ‘remarkable’ Dori Monson has made it this far

When KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson first started his radio career 25 years ago, everyone told him to scrap his first name and use a variation of his middle name. So Dori asked baby-name expert Albert Mehrabian if going by the handle Tom Monson would have led to a better career.

“If you had come to me for advice I would have said, definitely use the name Thomas,” Mehrabian said.

Mehrabian, a Professor Emeritus of Psychology who created the Baby Name Report Card said he’s studied the importance of a good name and is not surprised by the reports of expectant parents paying consulting firms up to $29,000 to pick the perfect baby name. He says it is worth the money, assuming the consultant is using evidence-based research rather than a gut choice.

“If you can afford it, by all means, because the name a person carries around with them, it’s like an appendage that they have with them for a whole lifetime,” he said. “And the name makes an impression.”

Related: Dori tries not to cry in touching farewell to his long-time producer

That’s where Dori comes into play. Saddled with a unique name his entire life, Dori wanted to know where his birth name ranked compared to more typically strong names like Chad, Elizabeth, James, and Steven.

The results for the name Dori:

Ethical-caring: 86^th percentile

Popular-fun: 5^th percentile (“That’s about as low as it gets, sorry.”)

Successful: 7^th percentile (“Unfortunately, that’s about as low as it comes.”)

Masculinity: 18^th percentile

“In other words, I have a horrible name,” Dori said.

“It’s worse than my name,” Albert responded.

So does Dori deserve some credit for building the life he has against the odds?

“It’s very remarkable,” Mehrabian said. “You need a lot of credit for that.”

Photo courtesy House Buy Fast.

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