How Popular Is Your Surname?

How common is your surname? Have you ever wondered?

Well, if your name is Smith, it's pretty common indeed. Smith is the commonest name, owned by over 1% of Americans.

But what if you're a Schwartz? You're number 323.

A Kowalski, perhaps? 2066.

How did I get so smart? Believe me, I'm not. I just punched the names into the surname database at pbs.org's website dedicated to The Sweetest Sound, i.e. your name. It's an upcoming film. Here's what it's all about:

What's in a name? Names are the opening words to our life stories. With intimacy, humor and his own inimitable style, Alan Berliner dives headfirst into the American name pool in search of the treasures and traps hidden in names — especially his own. THE SWEETEST SOUND starts out as a search for identity, transforms into a meditation on mortality, leaving a keen sense of the power and mystery embedded in every name.

You'll be fascinated as you type in names of friends, coworkers, and family to see just how highly rated they are.

I had fun typing words. There are a lot of Butts out there! Rated at 4493.

John Doe is the penultimate anonymous name, right? Well, Doe is rated 9996. How many do you suppose are named John? Not too many, I hope, for their sake.

The most disturbing name I found? Moron, at number 35559.

I'm sure they all pronounce it mo-RON'!

http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2001/thesweetestsound/popularityindex.html

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