Millions of people dream of climbing the corporate ladder and one day becoming a CEO, but an unexpected factor could play a role in how successful you are, according to a new study. Your first name might actually be more important than you think when it comes to reaching the top.
Profit Engine, a specialized link-building agency, conducted a study that reveals the most common CEO names among Fortune 500 companies. The findings might have expectant parents reaching for baby name books—or at least considering whether “Robert” has a nice ring to it.
“The patterns we discovered were quite striking,” says Jason Morris, owner and CEO of Profit Engine. “While correlation doesn’t equal causation, these results definitely make you wonder if there’s something to the old saying about names shaping destiny.”
The study
Profit Engine analyzed the 2025 Fortune 500 list to identify naming patterns among America’s most powerful corporate leaders. The team extracted first names from active CEOs across all 500 companies, excluding duplicates where the same individual appeared multiple times due to subsidiaries or mergers.
Table: Top 10 Most Common CEO Names
| Rank | First Name | Gender | Frequency of Name |
| 1 | Robert | Male | 21 |
| 2 | Michael | Male | 19 |
| 3 | James | Male | 16 |
| 4 | John, Christopher | Male | 15 |
| 5 | William | Male | 14 |
| 6 | David | Male | 13 |
| 7 | Mark | Male | 12 |
| 8 | Timothy | Male | 11 |
| 9 | Brian | Male | 10 |
| 10 | Andrew, Thomas, Scott | Male | 8 |
Robert reigns supreme
Robert takes the crown with 21 CEOs sharing this classic name, including Disney’s Robert Iger and Boeing’s Robert Ortberg. The name, meaning “bright fame” in Germanic origins, certainly seems to live up to its billing in the corporate world.
“Robert has been a powerhouse name for decades,” explains Morris. “It projects authority and tradition, both of which are qualities that boards of directors clearly value when selecting leadership.”
Michael’s strong showing
Coming in second, Michael appears 19 times among Fortune 500 CEOs, with notable examples including Dell’s Michael Dell and Chevron’s Michael Wirth. This Hebrew name, meaning “who is like God,” has dominated American naming charts for generations.
“Michael represents the peak of American naming trends from the 1960s through 1990s,” says Morris. “It’s a name that crosses cultural boundaries while maintaining that executive gravitas.”
James holds third place
James, appearing 16 times, rounds out the top three with heavy hitters like JPMorgan Chase’s James Dimon and Ford’s James Farley Jr. The name’s biblical roots and meaning of “supplanter” seem fitting for those who’ve climbed to the top of corporate hierarchies.
“James has this timeless quality that never goes out of style,” notes Morris. “It’s been consistently popular across generations, which might explain its strong showing in leadership positions.”
John and Christopher tie
Both John and Christopher tie for fourth place with 15 appearances each. John brings us AT&T’s John Stankey and Deere’s John May, while Christopher includes RTX’s Christopher Calio and Charter Communications’ Christopher Winfrey. These names represent different eras—John being timeless and Christopher reflecting the popularity surge of the 1970s and 80s.
“The John and Christopher tie is particularly interesting because it shows how different naming generations can achieve similar success,” explains Morris. “John is the ultimate classic American name, while Christopher represents a specific cultural moment—yet both paths led to the executive suite.”
William rounds out the top five
William claims fifth place with 14 CEOs, including PNC’s William Demchak and CarMax’s William Nash. This name, meaning “resolute protector,” appears to translate well into protective corporate leadership.
“What’s fascinating is how these names reflect generational trends,” notes Morris. “Many of today’s CEOs were born when these traditional names dominated birth certificates, but it raises questions about whether naming conventions unconsciously influence career trajectories.”
These findings reveal something notable about representation in American corporate leadership. The complete dominance of traditional male names isn’t a coincidence. It reflects decades of systemic patterns in who climbs the corporate ladder, Morris says.
“What’s particularly telling is that we’re not seeing the diversity of names that reflects modern America. No Aidens, Ethans, or Emmas despite these being popular baby names in recent decades. This suggests either a generational lag or that certain naming conventions still carry unconscious advantages in professional settings,” he adds. “The data also highlights a stark gender disparity. Out of 500 CEOs, the overwhelming majority share traditionally masculine names from a relatively narrow pool. This naming pattern mirrors broader conversations about diversity and inclusion in corporate leadership, and suggests we still have significant progress to make in breaking down barriers that prevent a wider range of people from reaching the top.”
Methodology
This dataset identifies the most frequently occurring first names among Fortune 500 CEOs to reveal naming patterns. To identify naming patterns among Fortune 500 CEOs, data was gathered on the current CEOs from the 2025 Fortune 500 list. The focus was exclusively on active CEOs representing each company; excluded were duplicate entries where the same individual appeared more than once due to subsidiaries or corporate mergers. From the full names of the CEOs, the first names were extracted and the gender determined using publicly available sources, including company leadership pages, investor relations websites, LinkedIn, and Bloomberg for verification. The first names were then ranked based on how frequently they appeared across the 500 companies to highlight the most common CEO names and identify any gender disparities in naming trends.
Photo credit: Liudmila Chernetska/iStock
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Tags: ceo, Firm Management, first names, Fortune 500, Payroll
