John Smith

Is John Smith really the most common name there is?

We're told it is but I've never met anybody called John Smith.

There's John Smith's bitter, and John Smith was the former leader of the Labour party.

It's popular in fiction. Hannibal in the A Team's real name was John Smith, and Dr Who uses it as an alias. There's also Johnny Smith in The Dead Zone.

I know a lot of guys called John, and a lot of people called Smith, but never a John Smith.

If you were to tell somebody you meet that your name is John Smith they'd frown and think you were lying (and unless your name is John Smith then you are). But if it's such a common name, then wouldn't it be more likely you were John Smith than somebody else?