If you’re hoping to raise the next Fortune 500 CEO, start with the birth certificate. According to a new study from Profit Engine, the most powerful male name in corporate America is Robert.
That name shows up more than any other in the C-suite, with 21 current Fortune 500 CEOs answering to it. Disney’s Bob Iger and Boeing’s Robert Ortberg are both on the list. And while no U.S. president has ever gone by Robert, the boardroom seems to think it sounds like leadership.
“Robert has been a powerhouse name for decades,” Jason Morris, CEO of Profit Engine, told New York Post. “It projects authority and tradition—both of which are qualities boards of directors clearly value when selecting leadership.”
The analysis wasn’t meant to be definitive, but the patterns were hard to ignore. “While correlation doesn’t equal causation, these results definitely make you wonder if there’s something to the old saying about names shaping destiny.”
Study Reveals the Most Powerful Male Name in Corporate America
Despite Robert’s top-tier corporate status, the name has steadily fallen out of fashion. It ranked 29th for baby boys in 2000. Last year, it dropped to 90th. Meanwhile, the names currently trending in playgrounds and group chats—Aiden, Liam, Jaxon—are notably absent from the corner office.
“We’re not seeing the diversity of names that reflects modern America,” Morris said. “This suggests either a generational lag or that certain naming conventions still carry unconscious advantages in professional settings.”
In other words, corporate America has a type. The dominant names among CEOs skew traditional, safe, and overwhelmingly white. You don’t need to be a sociologist to recognize the inertia at work here: the kind that favors familiarity, legacy, and resumes that look like the guy’s before them.
To be clear, no one is saying that slapping a name like Robert on your baby guarantees him stock options and a company car. But it does reflect the power of perception—how even something as simple as a name can shape the way someone is seen, trusted, or promoted.
Success might depend on grit, talent, and timing, but in some rooms, it also helps to have a name that sounds like it’s worn a tie since birth.
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