# Billy Thomas and Thomas Billy **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 4, 2010, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-thomas-and-thomas-billy/555996 "2010-10-04T13:56:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-thomas-and-thomas-billy/555996/1 "2010-10-04T13:56:06Z")
Shamelessly lifted from a blog I read, and not yet credited because I wish to reduce the chances of peeping for answers. > [@](#): > > I have in mind a very famous person whose name (or at least its modern English rendering) has the following property: If you switch the first name and the last name — there’s no middle name — you get the name of a different person, considerably less famous but still at least moderately significant. And the correspondence is perfect, again at least in modern English; you don’t need to add or delete any letters. > > What pair or pairs of such people can you think of? Basically, your answer will look like: “Of course - Billy Thomas, the famous jazz player, and Thomas Billy, the CEO of Peoplesoft.” Except there ain’t no such people as Billy Thomas or Thomas Billy, as far as I know. But what pairs do fit this question? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-thomas-and-thomas-billy/555996/2 "2010-10-04T14:09:50Z")
Like this? [Harper Lee](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harper_Lee), author of _To Kill a Mockingbird_, and [Lee Harper](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Harper), English goalkeeper. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-thomas-and-thomas-billy/555996/3 "2010-10-04T14:20:47Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Like this? > > [Harper Lee](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harper_Lee), author of _To Kill a Mockingbird_, and [Lee Harper](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Harper), English goalkeeper. Bingo. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-thomas-and-thomas-billy/555996/4 "2010-10-04T14:22:30Z")
Actors David Keith & Keith David (although I’m not sure that either qualifies as “very famous” per the blog entry) ETA: Looks like a winner was declared whilst I was posting ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-thomas-and-thomas-billy/555996/5 "2010-10-04T14:44:37Z")
[Paul Rand](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Rand) and [Rand Paul](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rand_Paul) . ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-thomas-and-thomas-billy/555996/6 "2010-10-04T14:51:57Z")
> [@42fish](#): > > Actors David Keith & Keith David (although I’m not sure that either qualifies as “very famous” per the blog entry) > > ETA: Looks like a winner was declared whilst I was posting There’s not necessarily “a” winner; undoubtedly there are multiple pairs of names which fit. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-thomas-and-thomas-billy/555996/7 "2010-10-04T15:14:41Z")
If you stretch slightly the ‘moderately significant’ qualifier, and allow switching an ‘e’ and ‘a’, my stock answer is (training camp) teammates [Ray Allen](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Allen) and the slightly less famous [Allan Ray](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Ray) ---
**Author:** ![special\_ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@special\_ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/special_ed)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-thomas-and-thomas-billy/555996/8 "2010-10-04T15:24:55Z")
Oh good lord, there’s an hour of my life I’ll never get back. How about [Ray Charles](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Charles), musician and [Charles Ray](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Ray_%28artist%29), Artist Or [David King](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_King_%28scientist%29), Scientist and [King David](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_david), religious leader (OK, maybe King wasn’t his first name, but they would have called him King had people spoken English back then) I must admit after thinking of these 2, I did search “people with first names for last names” Then picked some likely ones and looked up their counterpart. [spoiler] or [Coleman Francis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coleman_Francis), director and [Francis Coleman](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Coleman), director [Kelly George](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_George), beauty queen and [George Kelly](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Kelly_%28baseball%29), major league first baseman Journalist [Lawrence Martin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Martin_%28journalist%29) and comedian [Martin Lawrence](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Lawrence) General [Lawrence Thomas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Thomas) and painter [Thomas Lawrence](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Lawrence) Outfielder [Lloyd Christopher](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loyd_Christopher) and actor [Christopher Lloyd](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_lloyd) Former United Technology CEO [George David](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_David) and British Prime Minister [David George](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Lloyd_George) Founding Father [Luther Martin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luther_Martin) and Reformationist [Martin Luther](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_luther) Soccer player [Marvin Lee](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_Lee_Stadium) and actor [Lee Marvin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_marvin) Hockey Player [Scott Campbell](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Campbell_%28ice_hockey%29) and actor/voice talent [Campbell Scott](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campbell_Scott) Democrat Representative [Scott Randolph](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Randolph) and actor [Randolph Scott](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randolph_Scott) Singer [Neil Simon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Simon) and other singer [Neil Simon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Neil) [Thomas Henry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Henry), illustrator and actor [Henry Thomas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Thomas) [/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-thomas-and-thomas-billy/555996/9 "2010-10-04T15:40:57Z")
[John Collins](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Collins_%28footballer%29), the canny Scottish playmaker, finished his football career with Fulham. The year he retired, Fulham signed the Liberian/Dutch player [Collins John](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collins_John) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-thomas-and-thomas-billy/555996/10 "2010-10-04T16:34:36Z")
[Stephen King](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_King) and [King Stephen](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_of_England). [Martin Lawrence](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Lawrence) and [Lawrence Martin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Martin_(journalist)). ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-thomas-and-thomas-billy/555996/11 "2010-10-04T17:13:32Z")
[Frances Black](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Black) and [Black Francis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Francis). [Man Ray](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_Ray) and [Rayman](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayman_(character)). Batman and Man-Bat. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-thomas-and-thomas-billy/555996/12 "2010-10-04T17:16:05Z")
Judy Collins tells the store of introducing her brother Denver John to John Denver. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-thomas-and-thomas-billy/555996/13 "2010-10-04T20:56:30Z")
> [@special\_ed](#): > > Singer [Neil Simon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Simon) and other singer [Neil Simon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Neil) :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-thomas-and-thomas-billy/555996/14 "2010-10-04T21:19:18Z")
Palestinian activist [Zoughbi Zoughbi](http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Zoughbi_Zoughbi) and … himself. ---
**Author:** ![special\_ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@special\_ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/special_ed)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-thomas-and-thomas-billy/555996/15 "2010-10-04T21:24:34Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > > [@special\_ed](#): > > > > Singer [Neil Simon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Simon) and other singer [Neil Simon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Neil) > > :dubious: whoops, the second one is obviously Simon Neil ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-thomas-and-thomas-billy/555996/16 "2010-10-04T21:27:18Z")
Washington Irving and [Irving Washington](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Washington), cricketer. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-thomas-and-thomas-billy/555996/17 "2010-10-04T22:02:35Z")
Any number of [William Kings](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_King), and any number of [King Williams](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_William). ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-thomas-and-thomas-billy/555996/18 "2010-10-05T00:33:48Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > Palestinian activist [Zoughbi Zoughbi](http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Zoughbi_Zoughbi) and … himself. IN that case, Sirhan Sirhan. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-thomas-and-thomas-billy/555996/19 "2010-10-05T14:58:16Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > > [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > > > Palestinian activist [Zoughbi Zoughbi](http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Zoughbi_Zoughbi) and … himself. > > IN that case, Sirhan Sirhan. And if you allow fictional characters, Catch-22’s Major Major Major Major and himself.