4.11.2008

Hi, My name is...

I just finished reading this article from the NY Times about people connecting with folks that have their name.

We have the same name? Let's be BFFs!
One of the basic psychological principles is that people like people who are like them or remind them of themselves. This explains why folks have an affinity for people, places and products that share their name.

I, for one, do tend to particularly like things with my namesake. And, I feel that my full name is quite unique. My parents named me after a famous actress (first name) and after my grandmother (middle name). My European surname probably harkens from the slave trade. Accorinding to HowManyofMe.com, there are only 4 people in the U.S. with my name. But I wonder how accurate that is…

I'm always interested in meeting other people with my name. The first question I ask when I meet someone with my first name is "were you named after the actress?" The few people that I've asked have said no, but I'm quite sure that I'm not the only one. I've never met someone with my last name, which is probably because it isn't that common in certain parts of the U.S.

I think that it would be very interesting to meet someone who shared my full name but unlike some of the people featured in the NYT article, I have no plans of trying to connect with them.

Yes, I regularly google myself
I haven't found my Googlegängers, or Google twins, yet. Like most people, I regularly google my name. The results normally consist of a few hits related to my work or school ventures or to the networking sites I've joined. There does seem to be a person with my name in Florida but otherwise, no one else has claimed a website for the namesake.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I tend to dislike people who share my first name. Until high school, I was the only "Organica" in my class. Then in 9th grade, another "Organica" came. I tried to like her, but I just couldn't. I want to be the only one!!! Perhaps it's a bit of only child syndrome coming through - I want to be unique. I've never had a friend named Organica in my life. But then, there aren't THAT many of us. I think there are more Hippos.