Belgium First Name Discrimination Study Reveals Surprising Bias
In Belgium, a recent study reveals that one in five citizens judges others solely based on their first name. This unexpected bias heavily penalizes social relationships and stems primarily from young people as well as highly educated profiles.
Our surname directly influences the way others perceive our profile. According to data collected from a panel of one thousand people, the level of education paradoxically accentuates this discriminatory phenomenon. More than a quarter of qualified individuals (26%) admit to unconsciously forming an impression of a stranger on this simple basis, compared to 17% for less educated profiles. The generation under 34 years old also proves very prone to quick judgment.
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These ideas generate concrete and often painful repercussions in daily life. One tenth of the population claims to suffer or have suffered bullying directly linked to their civil identity. Faced with this persistent stigmatization, rejection of one’s civil status increases considerably. The year 2025 marked a historic turning point with an unprecedented number of 6,534 modification requests officially recorded by the SPF Justice.
To circumvent these social difficulties, residents develop various avoidance strategies. More than half of citizens prefer to use a pseudonym in everyday life, an option that 21% even favor over their official name. For their part, future parents integrate this social pressure from maternity onwards. More than one couple in five deliberately opts for a cautious choice to protect their offspring from potential future mockery.
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These behavioral dynamics were identified through a survey commissioned by the company My Nametags and relayed by the media HLN. The iVOX institute, responsible for the analysis, confirms the power of this unconscious first impression. The general director of the commissioning company, Lars Andersen, nevertheless tempers these results by recalling that an initial name fortunately never defines the entirety of a person, each remaining free to assert their own personality.
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