Databases Show There Are Only About 20 Obama Families In The U.S. Versus 11, 000 Clintons, 60,000 Bushes

November 28, 2008 5:50 a.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - As the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration rite fast approaches, U.S. residents who share the same surname as President-elect Barack Obama are recognizing the value of sharing the same rare moniker.

The privilege of enjoying the perks of having an Obama surname is accorded few U.S. residents because according to databases there are probably less than 20 Obama families in the United States, while Whitepages.com shows 70 Obamas on its roster. However, there are 11,000 Clintons and 60,000 Bushes.

Over one million people are expected to arrive in Washington for the Jan. 20 event, but the five county metro area has only 95,000 hotel rooms. As early as October, hotels in Washington, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have been booked.

The scramble for accommodation has spawned a lot of homeowners to lease their vacant rooms and even basements with prices ranging from $350 a night at a three-bedroom house in Brookland, Washington to a $57,000 a week stay in a three-bedroom home near Chantilly in Virginia. It has also led to the launch of the inauguralhomes.com Website.