I thought of this in the shower, then deleted it when someone in a discord I asked it to eventually said duh it’s Michael Jackson, and another replied Michael Jordan you dumbass … oof … but then while deleted it got upvotes somehow so whatever lol
A few more famous people with 2 first names:
- Anne Frank
- Bob Dylan
- Dylan Thomas
- Billy Joel
- George Harrison
- George Michael
- Elton John
- Missy Elliot
- Meg Ryan
- Kevin James
- Elizabeth Tyler
- Liv Tyler
- Steven Tyler
- Carey Grant
- Hugh Grant
- Mariah Carey
- Diana Ross
- Dean Martin
- Steve Martin
- Grace Kelly
- Alexander Hamilton
- Larry David
Hamilton is a last name. I won’t doubt that there are some people who have it first (not checking), but they probably have two last names.
The only one that comes to mind is Hamilton Morris. I don’t know if Morris is a first name, but I really like the dude. He did a bunch of documentaries about drugs for VICE. Big tangent incoming.
Those documentaries are really good. He did one about Project Coast, an awful program started by the apartheid government in South Africa (before Mandela became president). It’s the reason why the country still has such a high usage of methaqualone (AKA qualuudes, called Mandrax or “Buttons” colloquially) compared to the rest of the world.
Project Coast did so many much fucking lingering damage. Poisoned baby milk, nerve agents, you name it.
It was engineered by this piece of shit who earned the nickname “Dr. Death”, Wouter Basson. Cunt got away with it. He’s somehow still a practicing cardiologist in Cape Town. Infuriating.
Main point: those documentaries are worth a watch. Not an ad. Pirate it if you want.
Also, if anyone happens to be near Dr Death’s practice, just fucking exorcise that demon.
Morris is defintely a first name in Britain. I went to school with a Morris Morrison.
Hope he named his kid Morris Morrisonson.
One of my friends in middle school had the last name Morris, so I think of it as a last name.
You also have Hamilton Fish. He was Grant’s Secretary of State. His letter of gratitude before retirement is, or at least was, hanging in the Empire State Building.
https://empirestateplaza.ny.gov/hall-governors/hamilton-fish
probably have two last names.
Savage.
Reminds me of that Simon & Garfunkel lyric, along the lines of
…he’s so unhip
when you say Dylan
he thinks you’re talking about Dylan Thomas!
Whoever he was.Jason alexander
That’s a stage name. I assume some of the others on the list are too.
didn’t even think of that lol
Bob Ross
Today is the day I saw Missy Elliot on the same list as Anne Frank lol
James Taylor
Former President James Taylor!
Neil Patrick Harris has three first names
I can think of a few others - George Lucas, Wallace Shaen, Jerry Lewis, Steve Martin
How about a threefer with
Jerry
Lee
Lewis!James
Tiberius
KirkJamie
Lee
Curtis
James
Earl
Ray
Either Thomas Jefferson had two first names, or Jefferson Davis had two last names.
Yeah but they’re shitty old American politicians. They’re not really that well known outside of America.
As a non American, Thomas Jefferson is pretty famous as historical figures go.
Is Jackson a “first” name? Sure, I understand that some people use it as a first name, but I would say someone named Jackson Smith has two last names.
Michael Jordan though, that’s legit.
Jackson is a patronymic last name: Jack’s son.
Smith is an aptronymic last name: a smith.
So yeah, bang on.
I’d love to know why you know these terms. I’m a huge etymology nerd and I eat this stuff up.
This entire thread begs the question, why do some people have a first name for a last name? Is it just a less-clear patronym?
I too am an etymology geek, I had to look up “aptronym” (I already knew there was a word for it, but couldn’t remember it) but already knew “patronym”. I can occasionally work out the approximate Latin roots of words and take a stab at what to search for.
Regarding names’ positions moving around… that’s just people. People name their children all sorts of stupid things that eventually become normal.
There are a bunch of aptronymic last names, especially in English culture. The Baker family, the Tanner family, the Shoemaker family etc.
Don’t ask about the Dickinsons.
Michael Jordan?
Ricky Bobby? Lol
Keith David
Lebron James
LeBron ain’t no first name
It’s literally his first name
Abraham Lincoln
Wait what’s his last name then…
Ghengis Khan, Julius Caesar, etc.
Khan is a first name?
That is not showing correctly for me. You can try this instead:
also Khan Jr.
What about Elton John, huh? He’s not famous enough for you, eh? Well what about Michael Jack(son)?? No? How about Betty Boop??
Boop? 😂 Is your first name Boop?
It’s short for “Boopifer”
Does Tom Hanks count? He might beat Jorda ln in fame but Hanks isn’t quite the same as Hank.
Paul Ryan. But yeah probably not as known.
Any ____son is a last name. FYI the etymology is son of Jack, son of ____.
Any ____son is a last name. FYI the etymology is son of Jack, son of ____.
There’s something similar in Slavic languages with suffixes like -ovic, -ic, -icz, -ich, etc. So “Djokovic” means “little son of Djoko.”
Jesus Christ…
