Very often it is a matter of research. I do own a TKR with a name which does appear at the DALs about 7 times. But correct and intense research did show, that several men with this name have already gotten their ring before the date in the ring. And all other men -beside only one- did get their ring after the date in the ring. So I was lucky to get a waterproof attributable one.
Additional help would be a reearch of the proper SSpersonal files.
If a ring truely has been bestowed on one date to two persons with the same family name and you have no sure family provenience it will be impossible to attribute a ring to a ceertain, single person.
It has happened short time ago. The ring with the name "Reich" has been sold, naturally attributed to the prominent Otto Reich. Obviously nobody had checked (or did not want to check) that another Reich has also been bestowed the TKR at this date....
Just my opinion and experience,regards,

wotan, gd.c-b#105

"Never look for sqare eggs" as a late owner of an original FHH-dagger used to say.