The “How many people have your name?” thing has come across my RSS feed a dozen or so times already, most recently via the very common John Lynch. I was finally bored enough to put my name in, and here’s what I get:
There are 0 people in the U.S. named Chad Orzel.
While both names you entered were found in our database, neither was common enough to make it likely that someone in the U.S. has that name.
There’s also nobody in the US named “Kate Nepveu.” In fact, they don’t register anyone at all with the surname “Nepveu” (there are apparently 570 Orzels, many of them my cousins…). What are the odds that a couple of figments like us would be married?
Are two figments allowed to get married?
I thought marriage had been defined since the beginning of the Universe (6009 years ago) as between one man and one woman. (Unless you read certain other chapters of the Bible, in which case it’s one man and as many women as he can get.)
But one figment and one figmet?
I may be worse. There are lots of people with my name, but zero people with my wife’s name. What does that make me? I mean, how pathetic is that, having an imaginary wife when I’m not even imaginary myself?
I also discovered that, statistically, California has no governor. It’s funny, though, that right after saying that there are 0 people in the US with his name, they give an example of a famous person with that name….
-Rob
I’m imaginary too. In fact, there are no Spiegelbergs at all, and no Bargiels either, so our families are completely figmentary. I’m sure Herbert Spiegelberg, the famous phenomenologist, would have something interesting to say about that. Me, I’ll just listen to Billy Joel’s “C’Etait Toi” and be content in my nonexistence.
Beware of us commoners – nomenological proles that we are.
According to their explanation, the odds are greater than 3.61 percent.
No Procarios in the US either, which is a surprise to my entire family. I have never met a Procario who I was not related too, but a google search does turn up a handful.
The probability is 100% – by simple inspection. You may name your first child Syzygy.
Welcome to the club. We’re both imaginary too.
MKK
Proud to join the ranks of figments.
There are plenty of Evans these days (In my childhood it was pretty rare), and a surprising number of Langlinais turned up, but apparently I, too, am statistically improbable.
Lara Beaton…you’re not the only figment around any more.