The Rice University Neologisms Database

It is a term used for someone who searches his/her name on the Internet to see how many times his/her name appears on the Internet. In the 21st century 'surfing' was used to describe people rummaging through internet pages for information. It is analogous to riding the virtual library of information (i.e. the Web. Thus, 'ego-surfing' could be assumed by some as a measure of their popularity/importance).