You’ve searched Google for your own name. I know you have.
Did you find other people with your name? That’s a Googleganger.
Here’s one man’s story about finding his Googlegangers.
Years ago in the early days of the web, I was contacted by another Virginia DeBolt who was also a writer. I never met her in real life. Sometimes when I’m looking for my name I find someone who is deceased who shared that name. Usually a teacher, as I am.
With a Googleganger, you don’t necessarily expect to be related to anyone who shares your name.
I frequently hear from someone whose last name is DeBolt and we compare genealogy to see if we might be related. So far there hasn’t been anyone who connects within the few recent generations I know something about. But it’s not a common name, so there probably is a distant connection somewhere.
The way we find out history and locate relatives is changing rapidly. See Roots Tech: The History of Your Family is in the Future, which describes how Family Search does genealogy. Or perhaps you’ve seen those TV programs called Who Do You Think You Are? that explore celebrity genealogy using high tech tools.
Are you using high tech to find your history? Do you have any Googlegangers?
Google this man:
Dave Gorman
He searched the world for his Googlegangers
Oh, wow. He really took it to the limit, didn’t he? Thanks for the tip, James.