I share a name with a very famous professional athlete. I don't even think about it usually but as soon as I have to give my name to someone I can pretty much count on some remark about the athlete by the same name.
I've dealt with this in many ways over the years but my most recent method is to pretend to have never heard of that famous person by the same name. That makes the conversation awkward and they usually move on.
Also, if you meet someone who shares a name with a celebrity, keep these things in mind:
- There is nothing you can say about it that is funny or clever. We have heard it all before. Just don't.
- If you do have something to say about it that is truly original and absolutely hilarious, see the previous rule.
I share a first name with a mythological deity, so introductory conversations usually start with "Oh, like the god/goddess of...", but I don't mind it too much because I happen to really enjoy mythology in general. It's a great icebreaker most of the time and only annoying when someone frames it as "Did you know?" Like, even if it wasn't one of those dieties most of us learn about in middle or high school history class, do you think you're the first person to explain this to me in the last 30+ years of my life?
The thing that really bothers me is people have this strange inclination to sing my name at me after they learn it. It's been used in a good handful of songs and is even the title for one by a famous 60s/70s band. The weird thing is some people aren't even referencing one of those songs. They just make up their own little tune.
You have your own theme music! Iโm a little jealous.