I am looking for data that relates to any research / surveys or facts
regarding the average number of Names and Faces the modern average
American knows / recognizes off the top of their head - ie: We know
our Family (ie: Parents, siblings, cousins, in-law), friends (ie:
neighbors, co-workers, lovers), historical figures (ie: Abe Lincoln,
Martin Luther King, Jesus Christ, Mark Twain, Shakespeare, Cleopatra),
celebrities (ie: Elvis, J-Lo, Lucille Ball, Tom Hanks, Steven
Spielberg, Stephen King), polititans (ie: Clinton, Bush, Rice),
infamous (ie: Charles Manson, Jesse James, Osma Bin Laden), Religious
Leaders (ie: The Pope, Dr. James Dobson, Billy Grahm) characters (ie:
Mickey Mouse, Ronald McDonald, Shelock Holmes, Dracula) all by name
and face - what is the average number of names & faces we regognize /
know in this day and age?

Very interersting question. Did some initial research and mostly found
work on brain injury and reduced capacity to recall and match names
and faces based on Alzheimers, epilepsy, aging. Some references to the
average human brain recognizing several thousand faces, but placing
names to only hundreds. Gender difference in recognition: men
recognize more faces but women place more names to faces correctly.
Not much cultural difference. Would be interesting to find if long use
of video games and TV increase or diminish face/name recognition.