Ratings of frequency, familiarity, orthographic distinctiveness and pronunciability for 192 surnames

Abstract

Ratings of frequency, familiarity, orthographic distinctiveness, and pronunciability were obtained for a sample of 192 surnames selected randomly from a large metropolitan area phone book. Measures of reliability and the intercorrelations among the various measures indicate that the present information may be useful for investigations of learning and remembering names. Also, while certain unique aspects of name stimuli may have important advantages for researchers of verbal processes, the present ratings should also prove useful to personality and social psychologists when names are of interest. © 1975 Psychonomic Society, Inc.