Name Confusion

How insane is this: Tom's name is 홍영택. He's in my and Miro's 6 PM class. There's another Tom in that class, too, 이창한. The first Tom's (홍영택) younger brother's English nickname is also Tom. That Tom (the younger brother) is in my and Miro's 4 PM class. His name: 홍형택. Why would a parent name kids like that?! It's not quite the same thing as American parents do with naming kids starting with the same letter or rhyming or something. The Korean teachers are getting the two boys confused all the time. Hong Young Taek, Hong Hyung Taek--they're so similar!