Via the common-as-dirt PZ Myers comes this site, which alleges it will tell you how many people in the U.S. share a name with you. The results are not encouraging.

HowManyOfMe.com


Logo There are: 0 people with my name in the U.S.A.


How many have your name?

Now, I am in Australia at the moment, so technically this result might be true and the database technology underlying this website is disturbingly powerful. However, there are reasons to suspect otherwise. The thing also claims that there are zero people in the United States with the first name “Kieran.” In fact, of the seven Crooked Timber bloggers normally resident in the United States, six supposedly have non-existent names. Now, I can see why no-one would choose to name their child “Harry” or “Brian” or “Scott,” but thanks largely to my charisma and charm as a blogger, increasing numbers of parents are choosing to name their sons after me:

image

The results may, however, explain why so many Americans insist on mispronouncing my name as “Kiernan,” just as English people insist on spelling my surname “Healey.”