Name Uniqueness Issues

The cluster focuses on the non-uniqueness of personal names, with discussions about common names causing identification problems, suggestions for rarer names, and observations that many people share the same names.

📉 Falling 0.4x Politics & Society
4,358
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#9007
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
9
2008
21
2009
76
2010
91
2011
116
2012
111
2013
238
2014
310
2015
211
2016
205
2017
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2018
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2019
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2020
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2021
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2022
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2023
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2024
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2025
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2026
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Keywords

e.g pudding.cool US www.bbc AskReddit reddit.com ycombinator.com FYI NPR SurnameMapWhack names uncommon common unique baby determinism people tell voices journalists daughter

Sample Comments

joe_fishfish • Apr 9, 2022 • View on HN

They seem like common enough names, what's the issue?

istorical • Feb 1, 2020 • View on HN

How do they handle extremely common names?

elevatedastalt • Jan 27, 2025 • View on HN

Unfortunately many people have unique enough names that that much will be bad enough.

cballard • Feb 18, 2016 • View on HN

Some people have the same name as other people.

gnulinux • Nov 29, 2023 • View on HN

Just use less common names like Brice or Werner or Rubin?

unfunco • Apr 18, 2014 • View on HN

It's entirely possible that two or more people share the same name.

0xrisk • Sep 15, 2022 • View on HN

that is crazy. Perhaps your family name is common in that region?

thaumasiotes • Jan 31, 2024 • View on HN

That's a bizarre concept. Names are generally not unique.

quickthrower2 • Mar 7, 2019 • View on HN

Most names (first name plus surname) are not unique.

G4BB3R • Mar 23, 2021 • View on HN

I think it's because most of english names are already taken.