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[ab_grp]

When reviewing the results of a Google Scholar search I was alarmed to find that there is already someone with my name (middle initial included).  Now what? Luckily this person is in a different field, though our publications could sound similar.  I could go for full middle name, but I bet hers is the same as mine. 

Ab_grp, why the alarm? I can *definitely* understand someone who feels the need to distinguish him- or herself from a porn star with the same first and last names [!], but short of that, who cares? Anybody who wants to find your work will find it easily, assuming that there is not anyone in your subfield or field with the same names.   

I was kidding about the alarm... it was interesting to see, though, that I am not the researcher with that name who comes up first on Google Scholar.  Guess I'll have to get crackin' so I can overtake her.  I also thought it was interesting that if I had changed my surname when I got married I wouldn't have this problem.  In any event, thanks to the OP for raising this question.   

[secretweapon]

You know, the confusion could work in your favor.  "Omigod!  Hu wrote this article and is also a porn star?  Incredible!  I'm going to buy hu's book!"

[tt33_hist]

I am 99% sure no one else in world has my first name last name combo. Nonetheless sometimes I use my middle initial and sometimes I don't though not for any particular reason.

[jwormold]

I should use my middle initial, but somehow it got left off in what I'd call my most high profile publication. So I haven't used it since. Stupid, but I figured I should be consistent.

As an aside, middle names are good ideas. When I went to pick up my ID for my current university, my department's admin had called to make sure my paperwork was in before I headed over. My large, bureaucratic institution said they had the info. So I went over, had my picture taken, waited the 10 minutes for the ID. Luckily, I looked at the ID first.

Indeed, it was for "Jane Smith" (although my name isn't that common-- not by a long shot). But the middle name was off: it said "Dr. Jane Sarah Smith."  Excuse me, helpful ID person, but my name is wrong. Helpful ID person: No, it can't be. Me: Um, well, um, I know my middle name. My name is "Dr. Jane Michelle Smith." Helpful: That can't be. Hmmmm.......

Well, it turns out there's another Dr. Jane Smith at my institution. Starting the same semester, a recently minted PhD, a postdoc. Luckily, she's in a vastly different field. We've never met.

Of course, they didn't actually have MY paperwork. I had to wait another week for my ID card.

[canadatourismguy]

My name is so common that I should perhaps use both my middle initials (as I am wierd in that I have two middle names).  Wonder how that would work.

CTG

[magimax]

As an aside, middle names are good ideas. When I went to pick up my ID for my current university, my department's admin had called to make sure my paperwork was in before I headed over. My large, bureaucratic institution said they had the info. So I went over, had my picture taken, waited the 10 minutes for the ID. Luckily, I looked at the ID first.

Indeed, it was for "Jane Smith" (although my name isn't that common-- not by a long shot). But the middle name was off: it said "Dr. Jane Sarah Smith."  Excuse me, helpful ID person, but my name is wrong. Helpful ID person: No, it can't be. Me: Um, well, um, I know my middle name. My name is "Dr. Jane Michelle Smith." Helpful: That can't be. Hmmmm.......

Well, it turns out there's another Dr. Jane Smith at my institution. Starting the same semester, a recently minted PhD, a postdoc. Luckily, she's in a vastly different field. We've never met.

At the small university where I got my last degree, there were FOUR of us with the same first, middle and last names (all students) and TWO of those four had the EXACT SAME spelling of all names.  It was a tad confusing.  However, I quickly learned that for some reason I was inthe mainframe computer with only my middle initial (name not spelled out), so whenever I needed to do something official, I told them "I'm Jane R, not Jane Rachel". 

[enggrad]

I'm pretty sure once someone meets me they'd have no illusions that I am a porn star, but it has come in handy for daydreaming up sit-com like cases of mistaken identity.

Gee George, I don't think this candidate is being honest on her publications list.  She neglected "Cowgirl Takes All 4", which I thought was a great contribution to the field.

Of course, we do sometimes drool over good research and read the good parts of papers over and over.   I've been known to pin-up a few shapely graphs in my office once in a while too.  But I don't think any of my own work reaches science-porn status yet. 

[galactic_hedgehog]

No name confusions in my field.  I guess I just like the formality of having my full first name with the middle initial.  I don't like using the full first name without the initial -- doesn't sound right.  Abstracts usually get the fist two initials plus last name -- I like how it looks and sounds.  But in everyday life I never use my full first name, only the shortened version.  My wife's gotten into the habit of giving my full name to doctors, schools, etc.  I wish she wouldn't.  And I never use my middle name.

[captain_obvious]

A minor stylistic frustration:

A name cannot be "very unique", "sufficiently unique," or otherwise qualifiably unique. Either it is "unique," i.e. shared by no one else at all, or perhaps "unique to your immediate family," or it is not unique. Unique is not a synonymn for unusual -- it means one of a kind. Very unusual is still not unique. If something is shared by two people out of six billion, it is still not "unique," but rather extremely unusual or rare.

Sorry for the nit-picking!

Meden, THANK YOU!  This has been going through my head and driving me bonkers with every passing post.  It's too bad Pedant isn't around.  Pedant would never have let such an affront to proper usage go unremarked.