Naming has always been something that we 've done with our gut, but as we learn more about the scientific effects of names,

maybe we need a better science of naming.

Ever since ancient times, people have suspected there's something spooky about names.

Look at all those folktales where the heroine can defeat the villain simply by guessing his name, everything from Rumpelstiltskin to Beetlejuice.

And then there are the cultural taboos about speaking certain names out loud, whether it's of a particular god

or an exalted public figure, or even a dead friend or family member.

But why do we ascribe so much power to names. I mean, aren't names just words?

Wouldn't a rose by any other name smell as sweet? You might be surprised.

Take these two random shapes. Now one of them is named Kiki and one of them is named Bouba,

but which one is which? Now if you said the more spiky shape is Kiki and the more rounded one is Bouba,

congratulations, you're in the 95 % of people who feel the same way you do.

But why is this such a strong trend?

Well, as it turns out, names are not just these blank, neutral words we use for communication.

For reasons we don't fully understand, certain letters and phonetic sounds seem to carry a visual and even conceptual weight to them.

In a world where more and more of our social interactions are in social networks and we never meet face to face, names might be really important.

I can envision a future where people start to consult with name and username optimization experts,

kind of the way businesses talk with branding consultants.