Where Does the Word Doppelganger Come from?

In 1796, German writer Johann Paul Richter, who wrote under the pseudonym Jean Paul, coined the word Doppelgänger (from doppel-, meaning "double," and -gänger, meaning "goer") to refer to such specters.

Is the word doppelgänger German?

Doppelgänger, (German: “double goer”), in German folklore, a wraith or apparition of a living person, as distinguished from a ghost. The concept of the existence of a spirit double, an exact but usually invisible replica of every man, bird, or beast, is an ancient and widespread belief.

Does everyone have a doppelgänger?

The word doppelgänger comes from the German for double-walker and refers to a biological, non-related, lookalike. It is said that we all have a doppelgänger out there somewhere and with nearly 8 billion people on the planet maybe that is quite a likelihood; or maybe it is just down to how our brains process faces.