New York - (UPI) -- Growing numbers of Web surfers are forming personal connections with people who share their names, often called Google twins or Googlegangers, studies indicate.

Seeking out people who share one's name has become a popular hobby for many Internet users who form strong personal connections to their Googlegangers.

Experts have said people form these connections because of the name-letter theory, which represents an unconscious human desire to be close to objects that possess similar qualities to themselves.

"It's what we call implicit egotism. We've shown time and time again that people are attracted to people, places and things that resemble their names, without a doubt," social psychologist Dr.Brett Pelham said.

Critics of the name-letter theory reportedly believe it places too much importance on behaviors based in name likeness.

"I'm willing to believe that such patterns exist. But I'm not willing to grant that those sorts of patterns are going to explain or drive a substantial amount of behavior," said Stanton Wortham, of the University of Pennsylvania.
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