Names

I share a first name with someone else in my social group. We're mostly in different parts of the wider group, so I find it's fairly obvious for each of our mutual friends which one of us gets the surname tacked on to distinguish. She also uses the full version of the name, which I hardly ever do. We've both been known to call ourselves 'the other one' in email conversations we're both participating in. This all makes sense.

What interests me is when people with the only instance of a common name in a given group always get their surname tacked on 'to distinguish them'. Take 'Mark'. I do know several Marks, but there is one who moves much more in my group than the other Marks, and who is the only Mark I have in common with most of my immediate group of friends. Nevertheless, everyone always uses his full name to refer to him. For some time now, I've been experimenting with just referring to him by his first name, and people always have to clarify which Mark I mean.

( First names )

I have some thoughts on surnames as well, but I'm not getting very far with those at the moment ;-)

Anyway. Who likes their name? Why? What would you choose if it was standard practice to choose a name for yourself on adulthood?