The implicit bias of calling women by their first name and why it matters

Ridhi Boggavarapu, Staff Writer

What’s in a name?

It’s always “Kamala,” not Harris. It’s never “Donald,” it’s always “Trump.”

But it’s not just with them.

They say it’s “Darwin,” but it’s “Marie Curie.”

They say it’s “Picasso,” but it’s “Frida Kahlo.”

This phenomenon plagues our society, yet is rarely spoken about or noticed.

A study by Cornell University examining multiple colleges found that almost 60% of students were more likely to refer to a male professor than a female professor by surname. Across fields, participants in this study were 74% more likely to refer to famous males by their last name than females. Why do we default to this, and why does it matter?

People referring to powerful men by their last name and women by their first name is no coincidence. It stems from the fact that psychologically, people consider men and masculinity to be the “default,” especially in high-status professions. Since many think women and femininity are“outside the norm,” their first name stands out more, acting as a gender marker, according to the Cornell University study. Therefore, when people think of a woman, it’s her first name that usually pops up in their mind. 

This seemingly trivial act can have major consequences. Generally, referring to someone by their last name establishes superiority and respect. It also implies that the person is important and renowned. Referring back to the Cornell study, when participants saw fictional researchers referred to by only their last name, they perceived them as being more distinguished compared to actual researchers who were referred to by both their first and last names. This, in turn, leads to men garnering more recognition compared to women in the same field. According to the study, scientists mentioned by their last name were 14% more likely to be believed as deserving of a National Science Foundation career award, meaning that the way people refer to someone could cost them an advancement in their career. So if others do not call women by their last name as they do for men, women are increasingly likely to get deprived of well-earned respect, importance, and accolades. 

Despite all the advances in women’s rights and equality, this implicit gender bias still seems to affect us; it’s constantly drilled into our heads due to the media and our environment. It’s easy to think that we cannot do anything about it; it’s cemented in our minds, right? But being more aware of the way you refer to influential or famous people, both men and women, can make a huge impact. So the next time you refer to a powerful, famous, or important woman, think, “Am I referring to her the same way I would a man?” Because, when creating a more equal world, even the little things matter.