The world of dating can be pretty daunting, but recent studies have found a couple of new factors that might work to your advantage – your name and age. We’ve read the research and found some fun facts to speed up your search for love.
By Michelle Balogh
If you’re a woman between 20 and 34 who’s putting off the love-search until later in life you might want to think again. Analysis by Pitney Bowes Software shows that single women have the advantage between 29 and 34 as there are more single men than women in this age bracket. In fact, unmarried men between 20 and 34 in Australia outnumber woman of the same age by almost 149,000. With so many eligible bachelors about, savvy single girls in their twenties and early thirties are spoiled for choice.
At 35, however, the tables begin to turn. Between the ages of 35 and 44 there were 43,000 more single women than men, making this an ideal age for men to find a partner. Whilst this makes it easier for the lucky lads out there, for single women this may be a harder time to tie someone down.
‘The marriage data shows that women are settling at a younger age than men,’ says Bob Schwartz, Chief Economist at Pitney Bowes Software, ‘Men are staying single for longer, probably by choice rather than design. This explains the excess of single men at the lower end of the age spectrum. This may be because men are more focused on their careers, and only settle once established.’
But it isn’t just your age that’s working to your advantage or disadvantage when it comes to finding a partner – your name has a role to play too. A recent survey by dating site ForgetDinner.com.au asked 1,500 Aussies which names they found most and least desirable.
If you’re a ‘Sarah’ you can shake off any self doubt – your name was found to be the most desirable to the opposite sex. Other top ranking female names were Susan, Jenny, Samantha and Rebecca. For men, it’s the ‘Michael’s that are making the ladies swoon, with John, David, James and Steven following close behind.
Wondering who came in last? It seems men draw issue with old-fashioned names – Gertrude, Mary and Agnes landed spots in the bottom five. For women, Dick, Nigel and George were amongst the least attractive.
One thing both men and women had in common was a disdain for stereotypically ‘aussie’ sounding names. Sheila, Sharon, Bob and Bruce made up the last of the least desirable group. Another thing many of us agree on? 57.7% of Australians would refuse to date someone who had the same name as their ex.
If you’re feeling a little daunted after a glimpse at these new statistics, the prospects aren’t as bleak as they might seem. 51.9% of Australian’s wouldn’t make a decision not to date someone based on an unappealing name. As for your age, overall trends show that regardless of age, there are still a lot of singletons about, so get on out there! You never know who you might find…
