Thomas Jefferson is not the third president of the United States. He did not found the University of Virginia,
did not attend William and Mary and knows as much about his namesake as you do.

Sam Adams is not a brand of beer and was not a revolutionary. Kevin Arnold is not the lovable protagonist from The Wonder Years and never had a friend named Paul or a girlfriend Winnie.

But when people first meet Sam Adams (freshman-advertising and public relations), Kevin Arnold (junior-kinesiology) and Thomas Jefferson (senior-secondary education), they're often skeptical -- not over the chance encounter with a well-known figure -- but that it's actually someone's name.

After Samantha Adams decided she preferred the nickname Sam over her full moniker, comparisons between her and the Boston Beer Company's popular line of brews began.

Now, when she says her name, people often think it's a joke, she said. In high school, teachers yelled at her, and if she doesn't tell an instructor to call her Sam, she's forced to write her entire name to keep people from thinking that she's joking.

"I think it's funny that people get a kick out of [my name]," she said. "But it can get a little obnoxious."

The name can also be advantageous.

When meeting new people, almost no one forgets her name, she said, and it makes meeting people easier.

"People don't forget my name too easily," she said. "It's not something I really mind at all."

Kevin Arnold is also among the students with famous names, sharing his with the protagonist on the television program The Wonder Years.

"Most people, as soon as they hear my name, know who it is," he said.

Like Adams, he becomes annoyed by questions about his name, but said it makes it easier to meet women.

"Everyone kind of gives you a hard time," he said. "[But] it's more of a coincidence than anything."

Arnold said people first realized that he shared the name of Fred Savage's character in elementary school, but it was never a big deal.

The name is where the similarities between Arnold and Arnold end, as the real Kevin has never had a friend named Paul or dated a girl named Winnie, he said. But he has shared the character's nickname.

"One kid last year always called me 'Butthead,' " he said.

Thomas Jefferson's "fame" has differed from that of his "famous" peers.

"I was picked on a lot in younger grades," he said.

He said that in eighth grade, classmates followed him around acting like secret service agents. Jefferson said he found the antics amusing at first, but they eventually became aggravating.

"It does get to be annoying after a while, but you learn to live with it," he said.

Contrary to what most people think, Jefferson said he was named after his father -- not the former president -- although he said they are actually distant cousins.

"It's just a little odd having a name like this," he said.

Like Adams, Jefferson said teachers often don't believe him when he tells them his name. And even though he goes by Tom rather than Thomas, people pick up on the name after a while.

Jefferson, who will begin student teaching today, said he hasn't really thought about how students will react to his name -- especially because he will be teaching social sciences.

"That's going to be interesting," he said.