Her mom named her 'Christopher' so hiring managers couldn't tell. 40 years later, it's still working

Names have more power than you think. 40-year-old Christopher Stewart (@eatingfabulously), from the Bronx, New York, is a Black woman whose name surprises most people before they even meet her. Ever since she was a little girl, people had to do a double-take because of her traditionally male name. But her parents chose it with a purpose. They knew she would grow up and face discrimination based on her gender and race, which was why they chose a name that would give her an advantage, revealed TODAY on July 21, 2026. Stewart even admitted that people were always surprised when she stepped into the room during interviews.

As an adult, it made sense

When she was younger, Stewart went by Chrissy to make her name sound more feminine. However, during her late 20s, she realized the power of her name and told the outlet, "I thought, 'I’m a woman now. I love myself. My name is Christopher.'" She also explained her parents' logic behind naming her: "They knew that being a woman — and a Black woman — meant I would face obstacles.

They gave me the education, the experience, the manners, and the integrity. They also gave me a name they believed would be dominant on paper and help me get my foot in the door." She realized just how far ahead of their time her parents had been: "When you’re moving through the world, and you start experiencing discrimination or racism, or you see people changing their names to be recognized, it all clicked." 

Interviewers were always surprised

Career-wise, Stewart worked as a chef, a predominantly male-dominated field, but later became a reservations manager. She shared her experience in the restaurant industry, "When I walk into an interview, there’s that initial shock. Then it turns into curiosity. Then it turns into a real conversation." One interview even ended before it even began. The chef thought Stewart was playing games because he assumed "Christopher" was a man. But when she applied for a job at Bobby Flay's restaurant, the chef was surprised to see a woman walk in for the interview. He said, "Wow, you really are a girl. We were confused on the phone, but welcome." It became one of the best restaurant jobs she worked in.

Intentional name changes

Stewart's parents were right because people do report facing racial discrimination because of their name. A National Bureau of Economic Research study found that White names received 50% more callbacks compared to African American names. It also found that if White and African-American candidates submitted strong résumés, White applicants received 30% more callbacks from recruiters.

Another survey commissioned by Greenhouse found that 45% of applicants changed their name to sound "less ethnic," while 22% did it to sound like the opposite gender. In the case of Christopher Stewart, her parents did both. Going by her name, no one would've thought she was a Black woman, but would assume it was a White man.

Unmatched strategy

People loved Stewart's name and thought her parents were geniuses. @prettyrycke wrote, "I love this! I badly wanted to name my own daughter Christopher, partly after my older brother, and also keep the 'boy name' theme going. My own name is Rycke (Ricky), and I love that for me." @juju_fruit21 commented, "I said this years ago. When I have a girl, I want her to have a masculine name just cuz I know how powerful she would be by embodying that name."

You can follow Christopher Stewart (@eatingfabulously) for more food and lifestyle content.

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