Experimental Design
1. Selecting names for the experiment
To select names to be used in this experiment, we used different methodologies used in previous studies that have conducted these name pre-tests.
Following Lancee et al. (2019), we searched the internet for websites that have common Pakistani names such as ‘forebears.io’ and ‘behind the name’ which provided us with a list of suitable common first names. For White British names, we used the methodology of Baert, Lippens and van Borm (2022) and used the name database of Office of National Statistics (2025) which provided us with a list of baby names of people born in England and Wales between 1996-2024 based on its ranks and counts. When collecting the names, gender-neutral names were excluded.
After choosing the relevant first names, we selected surnames using websites such as ‘forebears.io’ that had a separate list of Pakistani surnames based on its ranks and counts. For White British surnames, we used the database of names collected by Bush, Powell-Smith and Freeman (2018) using local birth, marriages and death records in the UK which examined how names that people give and use are shaped by social and demographic forces such as migration, religion, etc.
Using the above criteria, we collected a total of 274 eligible Pakistani and White British first and last names and using a random number generator, we selected 72 first and 72 last names for this pre-test. This list of names consists of 36 Pakistani and 36 White British names, which is further equally divided based on gender which will be assessed alongside ethnicity in wave 1. Apart from these randomly chosen names, we have also included 4 additional decoy names of other ethnicities to reduce the likelihood of participants inferring the purpose of the study while completing the survey.
Therefore, in wave 1, each participant will assess 40 names consisting of 36 first or last names and 4 decoy names.
2. Experimental Procedure
This study consists of two sequential waves wherein wave 1 examines ethnicity and gender and wave 2 examines the socioeconomic status. Data collection for wave 2 will begin after wave 1 is complete.
Wave 1 (ethnicity and gender):
Before completing the survey, participants will be asked to complete a short demographic questionnaire. After providing background information, participants will be asked to assess the names, with each participant assessing 40 names. Different participants will assess first and last names, that is no participant rates both first and last names.
Wave 2 (Socioeconomic status):
Before completing the SES survey, participants will complete a brief demographic questionnaire. In this wave, the number of names will depend upon the number of names that meet the selection criteria of wave 1 described in the analysis document. In this stage, we will assess the perceived socioeconomic status associated with the selected names from wave 1. The participants will again be asked to examine either first or last names with different participants assessing first and last names.
References:
Baert, S., Lippens, L. and Van Borm, H. (2022). Selecting Names for Experiments on Ethnic Discrimination. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi:https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4206225.
Bush, S.J., Powell-Smith, A. and Freeman, T.C. (2018). Network analysis of the social and demographic influences on name choice within the UK (1838-2016). PLOS ONE, 13(10), p.e0205759. doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0205759.
Lancee, B. (2021). Ethnic discrimination in hiring: comparing groups across contexts. Results from a cross-national field experiment. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 47(6), pp.1181–1200. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183x.2019.1622744.
Office of National Statistics (2025). Baby names in England and Wales: 2024 - Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/babynamesinenglandandwales2024 (Accessed: September 17, 2026).