What about JAGster David James Elliott? Of course, that’s a made up stage name. His real name is David (W.) Smith.
I’ve thought Jennifer Jason Leigh was a little shifty ever since I saw her in Single White Female 
Nonny
Then there’s Jan Michael Vincent.
Good to see that so many of you know about Famous people who use two first names. However, the saying was about people whose last name could also be a first name. So like Paul Simon. Good to see that other people have heard of it too, although they all seem to be Australian too. IS this only an Australian thing?
ANyone have any idea where it comes from?
Thank you all for responding.
FloChi
PS Gaspode, I like your double barrel name thing, and I know alot of people who would agree with Bjelke-Petersen being a perfect example of a bastard on unknown parentage. (Australian Political Joke, much like the man)
I’d love to take credit for it, Sue, but my good friends Merriam and Webster say it’s been in use since 1963.
-Dan
Dan,
Well, dog my cats. I thought about looking it up, but then thought, no WAY is that a real word. Nifty; I can use it without feeling like I stole it, then!
Sue
dtilque, have you studied linguistics? “Disambiguate” is a standard technical term in that field. I remember in the '70’s discussing with other linguistics grad students what an odd word it was.
How about Jon Claude?
A few classes, back in the 70s. But I don’t recall where I picked the word up. If not in one of those, then possibly in a computer science class of which I took more than a few.
And kniz, shouldn’t that be Jean-Claude (as in Killy, the skier)? Or did you mean someone else?
To match kniz’ story, I work with a man named Joe Bob. And like kniz, after meeting him I asked what his last name was and was told “Bob”.
So, for the extent of this post consider the pre-19th century world. First, not all cultures used surnames. One of my professors explained to me today how in his travels to somewhere I’ve forgotten, he was referred to as “Teacher-Name” (forgive my forgetting of the actual Islamic terminology). Not “name-surname” or “surname” because they did not practice surnames, men were named after their father. Basically what I’m going to save some time getting at is perhaps two first names are historically indicative of a cultural ‘outsider’, unaware of the format problem in their name, attempting to work their way into a surname-practicing society. This, of course could be due to an amalgam of different circumstances.
Another theory I thought of is that surnames generally represent(ed) ones social class, either literally (names like carpenter, bowman, cook) or through family (family name is associated with a certain social class). In places like Europe, I imagine that if one did not have a surname, it implies a lack of acknowledged social class for whatever reason.
Each thought implies either a lack of known identity, the coming from of an outside culture, or the lack of a personal history. Still considering the pre-19th century world, distrust is a suitable reaction to someone with no [surname]*.
*Interchangeable with whatever a surname meant to the culture you may be thinking of
Moderator Action
Since the original thread dates back to 2001 and is actually discussing the use of multiple first names and not surnames, I think it is best just to close this.
Feel free to create a new thread if you wish to discuss the origin and use of surnames.
Thread closed.