I decided to focus on Italy.
Both my parents were half Italian and my last name Cassata is of Sicilian origin.
During my research, I learned that there is a Cassata cake, a traditional dessert from Sicily.
Thomas Barwick / Stone / Getty Images
However, my first cousin Patrick Cassata has been a chef for decades.
I found out about Cassata cake during culinary school from my chef instructor Chef Taglia, he says.
When Patrick opened his own restaurant Eclectic, he put Cassata cake on the menu.
His biggest inspiration for becoming a chef was our grandfather Carl Cassata, who was first generation American.
He had an impact on me and I gravitated towards that shared love affair with food.
My cousin’s experience is an example of what is known as nominative determinism.
Do We Favor Work Associated With Our Names?
The name connections created the notion that there is a psychological connection to peoples choice of work.
However, he says our names do influence our lives in many ways.
Its anunconscious biasbut its not magical, he says.
Based on his research, he believes theunconscious mindis probably much more powerful thanmost people assume.
And maybe we dont truly have free will, at least not all the time.
For example, a smith refers to someone who makes something.
In fact, Smith is the most common surname in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Our lab studies also cant be explained by any confounds.
Sutton says nominative determinism isnt a theory thats widely accepted within the field of onomastics.
So many surnames have nothing to do with occupation.
While its a nice just-so story, Sutton adds that its about as scientifically valid as astrology.
It may also get you thinking about your own career choice and whether your name led you there.
In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T.K.
(eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences.
Springer, Cham.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24612-3_1134
Pelham, B., & Mauricio, C. (2015).
Updated March 11, 2024.
Merriam-Webster.Last Names That Started as Jobs
