People called David, Alex, John or Derek are the people most likely to win the lottery

They're the luckiest people around

Obviously we all know it's unlikely that we're going to win the lottery, yet thousands of us play it every week. I guess it's about the hope, isn't it really, the idea that you might bag yourself that winning ticket and get yourself out of the rat race. That's the dream anyway. But are some of us more likely to get given that chance than others? Well, depending on if you believe in fate, a study has found that it seems there are indeed some of us that - in the past - have been more likely to claim the jackpot than others. Analysis dating back to the beginning of the National Lottery in 1995 found that the idea job and age for a winner was a 44-year-old tradesmen, and the most likely winners are called Derek and David. The data was mined by the online lottery platform Jackpot.com and aimed to find the traits shared by millionaire winners in the UK in the past. Here's what the top 5 looked like in terms of name:

1. Derek – 4 wins
2. Dave/David – 4 wins
3. Alex – 3 wins
4. John – 3 wins
5. Karen – 3 wins

As you'll notice the gender balance is firmly tipped in men's favour, however, sadly it didn't all go our way. The study also found that women win larger sums on average, grabbing £20.14 million compared to £18.23 million. In terms of a job, tradesmen are the most common winners, with builders, carpenters, and mechanics all having claimed the jackpot in recent years.