Ever noticed how the "A" kids in elementary school always seemed to have their act together while the "Z" kids were basically vibrating with chaotic energy at the back of the line? It sounds like a joke. It isn't. Sorting names by alphabetical order isn't just some dusty filing cabinet relic from the 1950s; it’s a structural force that shapes how we perceive authority, how we vote, and even how much money we make.
We use it because it’s "fair." Or at least, that’s the story we tell ourselves. But when you actually look at the data, alphabetical sorting is anything but neutral. It’s a cognitive shortcut that carries a weirdly heavy weight in the real world.
The weird truth about names by alphabetical order
Most of us think of an A-Z list as a simple convenience. You want to find a contact in your phone? You scroll. You want to find a spice in the pantry? You look for C for Cumin. But researchers have found something called the "Alphabetical Order Effect."
Basically, being at the top of a list matters. A lot.
A famous study by Kurt Carlson and Jacqueline Conard found that people with surnames starting with letters late in the alphabet—think Taylor, Williams, or Zimmerman—are actually faster to respond to purchase offers. Why? Because they’ve spent their entire lives waiting. They waited for the school bus. They waited to hand in their papers. They waited to get their diplomas. By the time they're adults, they have this "grab it now" reflex because they’re tired of being last.
Does your name dictate your success?
It’s kind of wild to think about, but in academia, the stakes are even higher. In economics, for instance, it is standard practice to list authors on papers by their surnames in alphabetical order. You’d think PhDs would be above such petty things. Nope.
Research published in the Journal of Economic Perspectives suggests that authors with "A" names are more likely to get tenure at top-tier universities. They get cited more. They get more visibility. If your name is Abbott, you’re the lead author by default. If you’re Zhang, you’re "et al." It’s a systemic bias baked right into the alphabet.
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This isn't just about ego. It's about how the human brain processes information. We get "list fatigue." By the time we get to the middle of a directory, our attention span is basically cooked.
Why we still use names by alphabetical order in a digital world
You’d think with search bars and AI, the alphabet would be obsolete. It’s not.
In fact, digital interfaces rely on it more than ever. Think about your Spotify playlists, your Slack channels, or your Excel sheets. When we don't know how to organize something, we default to the alphabet because it feels "objective."
There is no "better" or "worse" in an A-Z list, theoretically. It avoids the messiness of hierarchy or favoritism. If a manager lists employees by performance, it creates friction. If they list names by alphabetical order, it’s just the alphabet. You can’t argue with the alphabet. It’s the ultimate "don’t blame me, blame the dictionary" move.
The dark side of the ballot box
Politics is where this gets genuinely scary.
"Name order effect" in elections is a documented phenomenon. In non-partisan races or local elections where voters might not know every candidate, the person at the top of the list gets a statistical "bump." This is sometimes called "donkey voting."
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In some jurisdictions, they’ve realized how unfair this is. That’s why you’ll see some states using "rotated" ballots where the names change position depending on the precinct. They realized that names by alphabetical order was literally swaying elections.
How to actually organize names without being a robot
If you’re tasked with organizing a large group of people—say for a wedding, a corporate conference, or a neighborhood directory—don't just hit "Sort A to Z" and call it a day.
Context is everything.
- For social events: Grouping by "Affiliation" or "Relationship" is almost always better. No one at a wedding wants to find their seat based on their last name; they want to know who they’re sitting with.
- For professional directories: Try "Functional Sorting." List people by their expertise or department first.
- For internal teams: Use first names. It breaks down the formal barrier that surnames create.
Honestly, the only time alphabetical order is the absolute king is when the user already knows exactly who they are looking for. It’s a retrieval system, not a discovery system. If I know I’m looking for "Miller," the alphabet is my friend. If I’m looking for "a good lawyer," the alphabet is useless.
The "Aardvark" Strategy
Businesses have known this forever. Remember the Yellow Pages? That’s why we have companies named "AAA Plumbing" or "A1 Storage." They were literally hacking the alphabetical sorting system to appear first.
In the modern era, this has shifted to SEO and App Store Optimization. While Google doesn’t care if your website starts with an A, many directories and "Best Of" lists still do. If you're launching a product on a platform like Product Hunt or a niche directory, your name choice can actually dictate your Day 1 traffic.
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Practical ways to handle the "Late Alphabet" struggle
If you’re a Thompson or a Young, you’ve probably felt the sting of the alphabet your whole life. You don't have to just take it.
First, recognize the bias. If you're in a meeting and the moderator says "Let's go around the room alphabetically," speak up. Suggest going in reverse order. Suggest going by "who arrived first."
Second, if you're naming a business or a new project, think about the "top-of-list" advantage. It’s real. It’s measurable.
Third, when you’re the one creating the lists, vary your methodology. Use a randomizer. Use "Order of Significance." Use anything that breaks the A-Z hegemony.
Moving beyond the A-Z mindset
We need to stop treating the alphabet as the "natural" way to see the world. It’s a tool. It’s a great tool for a library. It’s a terrible tool for a talent show.
When you see a list of names by alphabetical order, ask yourself: what am I missing? Who is buried at the bottom because their ancestors happened to have a name starting with V?
The goal of any organization system should be clarity and fairness. Sometimes the alphabet provides that. Often, it just provides a convenient excuse to not think harder about how we prioritize people.
Actionable insights for your next list
- Audit your bias. If you’re a teacher or manager, stop grading or reviewing people in the same A-Z order every time. Switch it up to ensure the "Z" people get your fresh morning brain and the "A" people don't always get the first-to-finish pressure.
- Use "Randomize Range" in Excel. It takes two seconds. It levels the playing field for everyone involved.
- Think "First Name" for culture. In modern tech-leaning environments, sorting by first name feels more personal and less like a DMV waiting room.
- Consider the "Z-A" approach. Just once. Flip the script. It’s amazing how much more attention people pay when the "usual" order is disrupted.
- Identify the goal. If the goal is "finding a needle in a haystack," use alphabetical. If the goal is "evaluating the hay," use a different metric entirely.
Organizing by name is a choice, not a law of physics. Use it wisely, but don't let it become a crutch that hides the people at the bottom of the pile.