I suspect that many of us have been told by a relative, _there’s only one of you._

Peter Coy, a sharp writer for Businessweek who covers the economy and the housing market and contributes regularly to their Hot Property blog posted [Peter Coy, Reporter, Interviews Pete Coy, Real Estate Agent](http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/hotproperty/archives/2006/06/peter_coy_repor.html?campaign_id=rss_blog_hotproperty) about his namesakes and how he keeps in touch with them. He says:

>sharing a name with someone is an odd but very real bond.

One of Peter’s namesakes happens to be in a related field which makes it even more interesting.

I have had a similar experience with a few of my namesakes in New York and have thrown in a few more that have come up in conversation. I know my last name is very common but I was quite sure I was one of the few “Jonathan Millers”, until I moved to Manhattan in the mid-1980’s.

* I would get compliments about the annual presentation of my market report “Emerging Trends” for a commercial real estate company at the Waldorf-Astoria. One day, on a whim, I guessed my namesake’s email address and sent him a note. He replied and said he gets periodic requests for copies of my [market reports](https://millersamuel.com) (So that makes me his namesake, I guess). We ended up meeting for breakfast and had a lot in common. He has since moved to a different firm but still does a well-regarded national commercial report.

* I would periodically get mail meant for an active commercial and investment real estate broker named, you guessed it: “Jonathan Miller.” While we have never met, we have spoken on the phone.

* I was standing in Columbus Circle many years ago and a cameraman from a local tv news station came up to me and asked if I was [John Miller](http://www.cusa.uci.edu/johnmiller.htm), the reporter (well, I know John is not Jonathan but its close). He went on to ABC and then the counter terrorism bureau of LAPD.

* I frequently get comments from clients that are older than me that refer to me as the [Renaissance Man](http://www.cambridge.org/us/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=0521401372), or the “other” [Jonathan Miller [wikipedia]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Miller). I have never met him and don’t claim to have his energy.

* There is an active beat reporter for the New York Times named, you guessed it: [“Jonathan Miller.”](http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/03/nyregion/03ELECT.html) I have never met or spoken to him but I like the way he writes.

* One of my favorite stories was when I was sitting at home watching tv with my kids about 4 years ago and got a late night phone call from a CNN reporter, asking how I felt about being the [new head of America Online](http://corp.aol.com/whoweare/whoswho/miller.shtml) and did I have any comments. I recalled saying that I had plenty of comments about AOL but they had the wrong Jonathan Miller (must have scanned a lot of phone books to find me.)

There are actually several more, but whats the point? I am not really sure, but for such a large metropolitan city where individuals can live anonymously if they choose, I sure keep bumping into my namesakes. I guess thats what so cool about New York, however, I’d still like to think there is only one of me. 😉

_Ok, back to business._