This article was originally published on ComeRecommended.com.

Is your name hurting your chances at a larger salary? According to a recent study by TheLadders, this is actually a possibility. 

TheLadders set out to determine if names could impact success in the workplace. They analyzed data correlating the first names of about 6 million people based on industry, salary level, and location.

The results of the study showed that every additional letter added to your first name results in a $3,600 drop in annual salary. The only exception was males with seven-letter names, like Stephen. Additionally, when comparing full names to their nicknames, the nicknames almost always earned more.

Other findings from the study found the top C-level executive names for both genders and the top five highest paid names for both genders. Is your name on one of these lists?

Top five C-level female names: Christine, Denise, Cindy, Shannon, and Sarah.

Top five C-level male names: Bob, Lawrence, Bill, Marc, and Martin.

Top five highest-paid female names: Lynn, Melissa, Cathy, Dana, and Christine.

Top five highest-paid male names: Tom, Rob, Dale, Doug, and Wayne.

Highlights about these findings show that Christine is the only name to appear on both lists. The top 10 highest salary C-level executive names earn, on average, 10 percent more than other names. The top 25 most popular names make about $7,000 more than the rest of the list.

Is your name helping or hurting your annual salary? Maybe it’s time to switch to a nickname while you still can!