There’s a reason that nobody ever called Humphrey Bogart by his first name. “Bogie” just sounds much tougher.
“You know what’s insane? That the actor is named Wesley Snipes! If you were shown a picture of him and a picture of me, and were asked “who should be named Wessssley Sniiiipes”, you’d pick the pale Englishman every time! Every time, Liz!”
- a Brit who looks nothing like the action star, on 30 Rock
Went to school with a guy named Harry Butts. Both his father and grandfather had the same name. He was well liked in school and never really got any flack about his name. He had brothers that were twins named Donnie and Ronnie. By the time they reached high school both were known by nicknames, Cig (short for cigarette) and Roach.
Don’t know about badass, but Gaylord Perry was a pretty good pitcher, and great at messing with batter’s heads as to whether or not he was cheating with a spitball.
John Wayne was born Marion Robert Morrison
Marion Mitchell Morrison?
Marion Michael Morrison?
Will the real John Wayne, please stand up?
Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard couldn’t be anything other than a General.
Audie Murphy was certainly a bad-ass. Don’t know about that first name, however.
Wiki says, “Not to be confused with Eddie Murphy”
Isambard Kingdom Brunel was one of the greatest engineers of the Victorian era. He didn’t care what people thought and did things his way. And revolutionized transportation.
Jean Lafitte. Pirates are badasses by definition.
Hiram Bearss. Congressional Medal of Honor winners are badasses by definition.
Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, Ingemar Johansson, et al. You gotta problem wit dere names, doya?
I served with a guy named Maynard Lipp. He swore that he changed his name from Richard because he was tired of being called “Dick Lipp”. 
[John Wayne] “Ya know, Atimnie…? That just might be one Hell of a trick…” [/John Wayne]
I don’t know what’s manlier than to be named Philippus Theophrastus Aureolus Bombastus von Hohenheim and then being called Paracelsus, as a semi-legendary figure between alchemy/magic and pharmacy/science.
Gaius Popillius Laenas had the biggest balls in the history of mankind, armed with nothing with a stick he ordered a whole army to leave…
and they did.
And, for the exception that proves the rule, we had Englebert Humperdinck.
OMG, that Wiki page tells me there was another prior Englebert Humperdinck.
ETA: So the later singer adopted the name from the earlier composer. But it looks like the earlier composer was really named that. :eek:
Where baseball meets politics (both such Manly professions :dubious:) we have the dynasty of Cornelius McGillicuddy I, II, III, and IV.
Gail Collins, NYT columnist, used to poke fun endlessly at CM IV because of his name.
Always remember and never forget, there really was a boy named Sue.
Charles Canham is a bit of a silly name. Can ham? Doesn’t sound like a badass. In his picture later in life as a Major General he looks like a book worm. Maybe a nerdy librarian.
COL Charles Canham was the commander of the 116th infantry regiment. The first unit on Omaha beach. The one that’s in the beginning of Saving Private Ryan. The unit that took the heaviest casualties during D-Day. He was shot through the wrist but refused to be evacuated. He moved his men off the beach mostly through force of will. Yelling and prodding his men to move forward while he was exposed to enemy fire the whole time. His men later said they were more scared of him than the Germans so they got off the beach. Getting them out of the kill zone probably saved many lives and kept the invasion from being pushed back into the sea.
He was promoted Brigadier General and became the assistant division commander of the 8th Infantry Division. After the battle for the port of Brest he went with a group of soldiers to accept the surrender of the German unit. The higher ranking German general demanded to see his credentials. BG Canham pointed to the dirty and battle weary soldiers and said “These are my credentials.” When the division was deactivated in the 90s (when I was there) that was still the motto.
The nerdy guy with the silly name received every award for valor accept the Medal of Honor.
Also known as “the old switcheroo.” That was the joke, that someone with an ordinary name deliberately changed it to an odd one.
Here’s a completely true account of how Gerry Dorsey became Englebert Humperdinck.
And I can’t believe I’m the first one in this thread to point out that it’s Buford, not Bufford, Pusser.