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Technically, they ask that your display name is what your "friends, family, and coworkers" call you. To an extent I find it odd that somebody thinks that all three of those groups would necessarily call you the same thing.

My google+ profile name is a nickname that my close friends and family would recognize but that none of my coworkers would. (Same with facebook, incidentally)

I agree with you though. Nobody on the Internet but my bank really needs my real name.

I think the main purpose would be for Google to target ads very specifically like facebook does now.

Do you use a credit card for anything?

to prevent spam bots.

I don't see how that prevents spam bots better than a "don't be a spam bot" policy. Plenty of spam bots with real sounding names follow me twitter.