User blog comment:Julianatsuko/Theory/@comment-3452092-20190614214109

It's an interesting idea. Names can and do change over the years. I have multiple examples in my family history of names that were once one thing and now are another. I know a family where two siblings pronounce their last name vastly different. They didn't change the spelling, but they pronounced it very different.

Nikhil could be an ancestor of Dr. Banerji or the sibling or cousin of an ancestor of his. It would be interesting if they made that connection and went to the trouble of using alternate spellings. Unfortunately, it does seem unlikely, but you never know and it's fun to think about.