Pupils with surnames at the end of the alphabet get lower grades at school.
Experts from the University of Michigan found that Walkers and Youngs are also more likely to be on the end of acerbic comments about their work from teachers.
In the study, the researchers analysed over 30 million grading records from students at the university with assignments that had been submitted through Canvas – the most widely-used online learning management system in the world.
Analysis revealed that students whose last names began with A, B, C, D, or E received a 0.3-point higher grade out of 100 points while those with surnames later in the alphabet got a 0.3-point lower grade.
The team argues that teacher tiredness plays a part in the marking disparity.
Jiaxin Pei, the co-author of the study, said: “We kind of suspect that fatigue is one of the major factors that is driving this effect.
“When you’re working on something for a long period of time, you get tired and then you start to lose your attention and your cognitive abilities are dropping.”