# Artists that shortened their name to just their first name mid-career **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 18, 2019, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-that-shortened-their-name-to-just-their-first-name-mid-career/835668 "2019-06-18T02:48:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-that-shortened-their-name-to-just-their-first-name-mid-career/835668/1 "2019-06-18T02:48:59Z")
Biting off the bands named after a member thread. Now these aren’t artists like Prince Madonna or Cher who seemed to have always used one name, but rather at some point in their career they just started using their first name (this seems to happen a lot in Country music, and it seems like your first name has to end with an “A”): Shania Twain: Shania Reba McEntire: Reba Winona Judd: Winona IIRC they now all tour and record with their first and last names maybe due to a little humility… Any others? Elvis? Ozzy? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-that-shortened-their-name-to-just-their-first-name-mid-career/835668/2 "2019-06-18T03:02:31Z")
Roseanne Barr —\> Roseanne Arnold —\>Roseanne ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-that-shortened-their-name-to-just-their-first-name-mid-career/835668/3 "2019-06-18T03:32:38Z")
You could argue The Rock who started wrestling as Rocky Maivia. It’s actually pretty common for WWE to drop one name from a wrestler’s ring name: Cesaro----Antonio Cesaro Sheamus----Sheamus O’Shaunessy Rusev----Alexander Rusev Elias----Elias Samson. Among others. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-that-shortened-their-name-to-just-their-first-name-mid-career/835668/4 "2019-06-18T03:36:33Z")
Beyonce used her full name, Beyonce Knowles, in her early recordings. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-that-shortened-their-name-to-just-their-first-name-mid-career/835668/5 "2019-06-18T03:46:12Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Beyonce used her full name, Beyonce Knowles, in her early recordings. First one that came to mind. I remember when she made Austin Powers 3, she was known as Beyonce Knowles. I still think of her that way. ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-that-shortened-their-name-to-just-their-first-name-mid-career/835668/6 "2019-06-18T03:47:53Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Beyonce used her full name, Beyonce Knowles, in her early recordings. I like this but I guess I’m looking for artists that reached a point in their careers they thought the fans would know who they were just by their first names. Unless you still think she qualifies? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-that-shortened-their-name-to-just-their-first-name-mid-career/835668/7 "2019-06-18T04:13:45Z")
After a bit of research, it appears that Jackée Harry started going by just “Jackée” starting with the third season of the sticom _227_. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-that-shortened-their-name-to-just-their-first-name-mid-career/835668/8 "2019-06-18T04:32:59Z")
Not really an artist, but Shaquille O’Neill has been known as just “Shaq” for a very long time. ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-that-shortened-their-name-to-just-their-first-name-mid-career/835668/9 "2019-06-18T07:59:28Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > Biting off the bands named after a member thread. > > Now these aren’t artists like Prince Madonna or Cher who seemed to have always used one name, but rather at some point in their career they just started using their first name (this seems to happen a lot in Country music, and it seems like your first name has to end with an “A”): > > Shania Twain: Shania > Reba McEntire: Reba > Winona Judd: Winona > > IIRC they now all tour and record with their first and last names maybe due to a little humility… > > Any others? > > Elvis? Ozzy? > Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Regarding Wynonna Judd… According to Wikipedia: “Her solo albums and singles are all credited to the single name Wynonna.” If correct, as a solo artist she never went by the full name Wynonna Judd. She used her ‘last name’ only as a member of The Judds with her mother. Also from Wikipedia: She was “born Christina Claire Ciminella”. Sonofagun, I would’ve never guessed that. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-that-shortened-their-name-to-just-their-first-name-mid-career/835668/10 "2019-06-18T08:21:56Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > I like this but I guess I’m looking for artists that reached a point in their careers they thought the fans would know who they were just by their first names. Unless you still think she qualifies? You have an enigmatic sense of humour. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-that-shortened-their-name-to-just-their-first-name-mid-career/835668/11 "2019-06-18T12:34:56Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > You have an enigmatic sense of humour. Oh, _that_ Beyonce. I was thinking you meant Beyonce Humperdinck or maybe Beyonce Nguyen. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-that-shortened-their-name-to-just-their-first-name-mid-career/835668/12 "2019-06-18T12:56:17Z")
Any Brazilian soccer player. ---
**Author:** ![Dave.B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9f8e36/32.png) [@Dave.B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave.B)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-that-shortened-their-name-to-just-their-first-name-mid-career/835668/13 "2019-06-18T12:59:51Z")
Kylie Minogue used her full name in her acting days, and early in her music career, but is now known just as Kylie. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-that-shortened-their-name-to-just-their-first-name-mid-career/835668/14 "2019-06-18T13:45:35Z")
The Phlorescent Leech shortened his name to Flo. Eddie stayed as Eddie. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-that-shortened-their-name-to-just-their-first-name-mid-career/835668/15 "2019-06-18T14:30:28Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > I like this but I guess I’m looking for artists that reached a point in their careers they thought the fans would know who they were just by their first names. Unless you still think she qualifies? > Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I can’t tell if this is facetious or not, but her Wikipedia page is under just her first name and, honestly, I had almost forgotten her last names is Knowles, as she always referred to as Beyoncé. (Actually, it appears it’s Knowles-Carter now, which I did not know at all. Looks like Jay-Z’s last name is Carter.) ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-that-shortened-their-name-to-just-their-first-name-mid-career/835668/16 "2019-06-18T14:43:15Z")
Sean Combs -\> Puff Daddy -\> P. Diddy Snoop Doggy Dogg (2 albums) -\> Snoop Dogg (the rest of his albums) -\> Snoop (commonly known as) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-that-shortened-their-name-to-just-their-first-name-mid-career/835668/17 "2019-06-18T15:46:27Z")
I admit to having a (possibly irrational) prejudice against anyone who does this. It’s like they’re saying “I claim this name all to myself. I’m the only one who has, or can have, this name—at least, the only one who matters.” What an arrogant ass. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-that-shortened-their-name-to-just-their-first-name-mid-career/835668/18 "2019-06-18T15:54:43Z")
Bernie Taupin was just going by Taupin for awhile. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-that-shortened-their-name-to-just-their-first-name-mid-career/835668/19 "2019-06-18T16:51:08Z")
Does Drake count? He shortened his name to his middle name rather than his first name. His full name is Aubrey Drake Graham and he was credited as Aubrey Graham when he was a regular on _Degrassi: The Next Generation_. ---
**Author:** ![BobBitchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-that-shortened-their-name-to-just-their-first-name-mid-career/835668/20 "2019-06-18T17:32:44Z")
Double points for same band… Slash Izzy Axl Duff [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-that-shortened-their-name-to-just-their-first-name-mid-career/835668.md?page=2)