If your name is David, Rebecca, James, William or Sarah then new research suggests you are probably very lucky.

A new study has revealed the true importance of the name your parents gave you at birth when it comes to your career.

The highest paid jobs apparently go to men named David, with David emerging as the top name among British MPs, lawyers and millionaires.

Davids are also most likely to enforce the law, with the name appearing most commonly among Met Police officers.

On the flip side, Rebecca is top of the list of high achieving women's names, appearing most commonly at both the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.

Women with names ending in the letter ‘a’ are most likely to end up at the top universities, with Anna and Emma also appearing near the top of the list of students’ names.

Steve and Peter are the top names among men leading FTSE 100 companies. For women, Alison appears most frequently among FTSE 100 CEOs.

Unfortunately, if your name is Richard you are probably least likely to have business success in 2018, as your name ranked highly among those claiming insolvency.

Johns, you are obviously criminals, with the study showing this is the most common name among the criminal elite.

Those named William are most likely to be creative types, often becoming artists and authors; whereas those called Chris and Laura are the sportiest in the country.

Professional footballers are likely to go by shorter names, with players named Dan, Tom and Sam appearing most commonly in the Premier League.

It’s not a bed of roses for those named Patricia and Margaret whose names appear most often on criminal trial records.

However, it’s good news for Sarahs as the name is the most common female name among doctors, lawyers and journalists.

Linda Blair, a clinical psychologist, said: “Parents are often convinced that the names they choose for their children reflect only their own personal preferences and family history, without any regard to those around them.

"In truth, however, we’re all heavily influenced by the people we see around us, particularly those in prominent positions. Without realising it, we come to like certain names because we admire the achievements of the individuals who have those names - achievements and abilities we may then encourage in our own children."

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More information at My Nametags.