Do People Whose Names Begin with “D” Really Die Young?

Abstract

It has been reported that professional baseball players whose first names begin with the letter “D” tend to die relatively young (E. L. Abel & M. L. Kruger, 2010). However, the statistical evidence for this claim is based on selective data and a statistical test that ignores important confounding influences. A valid test applied to more comprehensive data from the same source does not show a statistically significant relationship between initials and longevity. In addition, data for the years 1960 through 2004 for 6.7 million White, non-Hispanic California decedents do not replicate the claim that D's die young.

Acknowledgments

I am grateful for the reviewers’ careful reading and very helpful suggestions.

Notes

*p < .05. **p < .01. ***p < .001.