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How common are doppelgÀngers?
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Separated at birth
centuries apart?
Separated at birth
centuries apart? American actor Jack Black (left) and American folk hero Paul Revere.

How common are doppelgÀngers?

Written by
René Ostberg
RenĂ© Ostberg is an associate editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. 
René Ostberg
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
‱History

Perhaps you’ve heard the saying, “Everyone has a twin somewhere in the world.” Not a biological twin (although some people do have one or more of those) but a person who bears an uncanny resemblance to an unrelated stranger. English speakers call these kinds of twins “look-alikes.” In German the term is doppelgĂ€nger (literally, “double goer”). DoppelgĂ€ngers are common in literature, horror movies, and folklore. But how common are they in real life? The answer...

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