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What’s your major? This question, often the first asked about one’s college journey, may reveal unexpected connections to one’s name. In 2026, we delve into the fascinating link between college majors and the names of students pursuing them.
We’ve compiled a series of visuals showcasing the top six names associated with the 37 most popular college majors based on several criteria:
- The most common name by major
- The most disproportionately common name by major (those names that appear significantly more in certain majors than in others)
- The most disproportionately common male names by major
- The most disproportionately common female names by major
While names alone do not indicate a person’s background or citizenship, the patterns observed in name prevalence across different majors provide intriguing insights. Our findings reveal that the most common names by major align closely with overall popular names in the U.S.
Names like Robert, David, John, Jessica, and Jennifer frequently dominated the lists. Interestingly, specific majors often leaned toward names traditionally associated with one gender—Registered Nursing majors featured predominantly female names, while Accounting majors favored male names.
Notably, many majors cycled through a select group of names, predominantly of Anglo-European origin. For instance, in 19 out of the 37 majors analyzed, names such as John, David, James, Michael, and Robert appeared among the top six names, with the sixth spot often filled by either Jennifer, Jessica, Matthew, or Christopher, depending on the major.
However, the real intrigue emerged when we examined the most disproportionately common names within each major.
The Disproportionately Common Names by Major
Here are some noteworthy examples of the most disproportionately common names, categorized by major:
- Psychology
- The most disproportionately common names include female names like the Anglo-European “Jen” and “Jenn,” along with Eastern European names such as “Ewelina,” “Patrycja,” and “Yuliya,” and the Italian name “Fiorella.”
- Male names feature a diverse origin pool, including Anglo-European names like “Nate,” “Brit,” and “Zach,” along with Chinese names “Chong” and “Wei,” and the Yoruba name “Babatunde.”
- Social Work
- Notably, “Shamekia” and “Sharmaine” lead the list, both starting with the letters “sh.”
- Liberal Arts
- Two of the top female names are diminutives of “Jennifer,” namely “Jen” and “Jenn.”
- And yes, “Zach” makes another appearance.
- Communication and Media Studies
- This major features some of the shortest names, including the abbreviated forms “PJ” and “JP,” along with “Yuan,” “Yi,” “Moe,” and, of course, “Zach.”
- Teacher Education
- Names here predominantly have Anglo-European roots, including “Deb,” “Sydnie,” “Art,” and yet another “Zach.”
- Criminal Justice
- This major sees a resurgence of the two Jenns, alongside the Chinese name “Yao,” the Persian name “Mirza,” and Slavic names “Igor” and “Svetlana.”
- Public Relations
- “Jing” and “Ying” are two of the most disproportionately common names, alongside the familiar Zachs and Jenns.
- Business Administration
- Names from diverse backgrounds appear here, including the Yoruba name “Olu” and the Chinese name “Xin,” while Hindustani names like “Himanshu,” “Sri,” “Chintan,” and “Prasad” dominate.
- Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
- Among the top names, four end with “a,” including “Svetlana,” “Irina,” “Yana,” and “Pa.” And yes, “Zach” is also present, though it may appear as “Zack” in this context!
- Design and Applied Arts
- This major features Eastern European names like “Yulia,” “Olenna,” and “Inna,” along with the returning Jen(n)s and the distinct name “North.”
- Both “Zac” and “Zach” are noted among the most common male names.
- Political Science
- Female names include the Arabic “Zahra” and “Aminata,” Eastern European names “Irina” and “Svetlana,” along with the ever-present “Jen” and “Jenn.”
- Male names feature “Mirza” again, alongside Anglo-European “Nate,” Eastern European “Igor,” and the one and only “Zach.”
- Health and Physical Education
- Here, three of the six most disproportionately common names for either gender are variations of the Anglo-European name “Zachary,” specifically “Zac,” “Zach,” and “Zak.”
How We Analyzed the Data
To identify the most common names in each major, we analyzed a database of over 7 million resumes.
We then utilized Social Security Name data from 1952 to 2000 (covering the current working-age population) to establish a baseline expectation for name prevalence. By comparing this baseline to the name distribution in each major, we could identify which names were most disproportionately common.
For example, if the name “Bob” constitutes 2% of names nationwide but appears in 10% of names within Math-related majors, “Bob” would be categorized as disproportionately common in that field.
We repeated this analysis two more times, focusing separately on traditionally male and female names to create distinct lists of most disproportionately common male and female names.
Did You Find This Article Insightful?
If you’re a current student exploring majors—perhaps your name is a variation of “Zach”—consider visiting our career search engine to discover jobs that align with your interests and the majors that can lead you there.
For recent graduates struggling to find employment, explore the types of careers your major qualifies you for and uncover some common entry-level positions for graduates in your field. You might stumble upon an exciting opportunity you hadn’t considered!
Author
Ryan Morris was a writer for the Zippia Advice blog who tried to make the job process a little more entertaining for all those involved. He obtained his BA and Masters from Appalachian State University.
