SuperUser Account posted on February 21, 2006 10:20
When you search in google for my name (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22erik+van+ballegoij%22) google suggest to use a different spelling (btw, that search returns 348 hits). The funny thing is that if you use that other spelling, no hits at all are returned:http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=%22erik+van+ballegooij%22
I don't know much of the history of my name, but it probably is related to the town of Balgoij, near the city of Nijmegen....
The funny thing is, searching for your own name on google is a very funny thing to do, giving opportunity to locate family that might or might not be related to you. In Holland, as I'm sure in other countries, names evolved during the centuries, and got garbled when people moved to other cities. So far, i've come accross the following ways of writing my last name: Ballegoij, Ballegooij, Ballegoy, Ballegooy, Ballegooi, Balgoij, but even someone called me even Wanroy... (apparently that happens if i am not articulating very well ;)).
Anyway, of course you know all know the purpose of this post... if not, just ask me ;)