Should I include name of potential advisor on my statement of purpose (SOP)
Faculty at a top-10 school in aerospace engineering gave a former student of mine the advice of indicating several professors whose research he was interested in, for exactly the reasons you suggest: by showing too narrow a scope, it makes it harder for other researchers to gain interest, and by just submitting a "generic" SOP, you run the risk of looking like you're not doing your homework. Showing an interest in several faculty makes it easier for someone to advocate for you in the admissions committee.