Darwin not a better name than Wallace

Abstract

The position of an author's surname in the alphabet is tested for randomization and double barrel names are tested in a bibliometric analysis to see which names occur more frequently in first and second position. Using an analysis of data from nine online journals (African Entomology, African Invertebrates, African Zoology, Arthropods, Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies, South African Journal of Science, Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology, Ostrich, Trends in Ecology and Evolution) I found no evidence for a random distribution of surnames based on first letter (t=-6.913024, p<0.00001, n=8333 pdf's). A table for comparing relative surname positions is given. Within double barrel names the D's where not more frequent than the W's in the second position (t =-0.36, P = 0.719, n=21 letters).