this post was submitted on 13 Nov 2024
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Showerthoughts

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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

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[–] EndOfLine@lemmy.world 42 points 2 weeks ago (7 children)

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
[–] davidgro@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

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.

[–] tourist@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

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.

[–] Acamon@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Morris is defintely a first name in Britain. I went to school with a Morris Morrison.

[–] DarkDarkHouse@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 2 weeks ago

Hope he named his kid Morris Morrisonson.

[–] davidgro@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

One of my friends in middle school had the last name Morris, so I think of it as a last name.

[–] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

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

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[–] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 weeks ago
[–] niktemadur@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago

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.

[–] thermal_shock@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] OutlierBlue@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

That's a stage name. I assume some of the others on the list are too.

[–] thermal_shock@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

didn't even think of that lol

[–] NickwithaC@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

Today is the day I saw Missy Elliot on the same list as Anne Frank lol

[–] son_named_bort@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
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[–] Zahille7@lemmy.world 23 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

Neil Patrick Harris has three first names

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[–] pruwybn@discuss.tchncs.de 17 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I can think of a few others - George Lucas, Wallace Shaen, Jerry Lewis, Steve Martin

[–] niktemadur@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

How about a threefer with
Jerry
Lee
Lewis!

[–] DarkDarkHouse@lemmy.sdf.org 7 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

James
Tiberius
Kirk

[–] Madscotsman@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Jamie

Lee

Curtis

[–] sangriaferret@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 weeks ago

James

Earl

Ray

[–] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

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.

[–] deadbeef79000 9 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

Jackson is a patronymic last name: Jack's son.

Smith is an aptronymic last name: a smith.

So yeah, bang on.

[–] phubarr@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

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?

[–] deadbeef79000 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

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.

[–] Tujio@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago

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.

[–] fubo@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Either Thomas Jefferson had two first names, or Jefferson Davis had two last names.

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[–] Kadaj21@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago

Michael Jordan?

Ricky Bobby? Lol

[–] lemonmelon@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago

Keith David

[–] sit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 2 weeks ago

Wait what’s his last name then..

[–] Aabbcc@lemm.ee 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] Gladaed@feddit.org 10 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

LeBron ain't no first name

[–] Aabbcc@lemm.ee 2 points 2 weeks ago

It's literally his first name

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[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago

Abraham Lincoln

[–] SatyrSack@feddit.org 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Ghengis Khan, Julius Caesar, etc.

[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)
[–] TheKracken@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)
[–] SatyrSack@feddit.org 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

That is not showing correctly for me. You can try this instead:

![](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/kingofthehill/images/8/83/Khan-souphanousinphone.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20090906184427)

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[–] SplashJackson@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

What about Elton John, huh? He's not famous enough for you, eh? Well what about Michael Jack(son)?? No? How about Betty Boop??

[–] August27th@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Boop? 😂 Is your first name Boop?

[–] SplashJackson@lemmy.ca 7 points 2 weeks ago

It's short for "Boopifer"

[–] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
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[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Paul Ryan. But yeah probably not as known.

Any ____son is a last name. FYI the etymology is son of Jack, son of ____.

[–] BenVimes@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 weeks ago

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."

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