# Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros-Ghali **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 25, 2004, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-ghali/231027 "2004-02-25T03:07:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-ghali/231027/1 "2004-02-25T03:07:25Z")
A quickie … why is the name “Boutros” repeated twice in the name of the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations? ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-ghali/231027/2 "2004-02-25T03:17:41Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > A quickie … why is the name “Boutros” repeated twice in the name of the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations? As far as I know, it’s because it’s his name. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, roughly analogous to Billy Dee Williams were he to use his full first name. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-ghali/231027/3 "2004-02-25T03:24:03Z")
It seems analogous to Billy Billy Williams, but not Billy Dee Williams. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-ghali/231027/4 "2004-02-25T03:29:40Z")
In Egypt, the standard format for a name is three-part: 1. Your given name 2. Your father’s given name 3. Your paternal grandfather’s given name. Family names are optional, and many Arabs get by just fine without any family names. Some families have them, some don’t, it isn’t a big deal. It’s normal in several Arab countries to format one’s name in three generations like that, but I think in Egypt they have actually legislated that names are to be standardized that way for filling in official forms. Boutros Boutros Ghali is an example of three first names in a row with no real last name. But if someone becomes famous, then his grandfather’s first name may become set as the family name thereafter. Arab culture is what you call _patrilineal_, i.e. descent is traced through the father’s line. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-ghali/231027/5 "2004-02-25T04:04:58Z")
> [@Jomo Mojo](#): > > In Egypt, the standard format for a name is three-part: > > 1. Your given name > 2. Your father’s given name > 3. Your paternal grandfather’s given name. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![RayMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e495f1/32.png) [@RayMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RayMan)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-ghali/231027/6 "2004-02-25T07:57:36Z")
My friend’s middle name is the same as his last name. I always joke that his parents liked it so much, they gave it to him twice. He’s African, by the way, from Nigeria. I have no idea if that has anything to do with why his middle name is the same as his last, though. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-ghali/231027/7 "2004-02-25T11:07:26Z")
Shortened the title. - **xash** General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![pcroughn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/977dab/32.png) [@pcroughn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pcroughn)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-ghali/231027/8 "2004-02-25T14:05:00Z")
I went to college with a guy who had an extra Boutros. He had a hard time getting dates. ---
**Author:** ![aahala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@aahala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aahala)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-ghali/231027/9 "2004-02-25T14:11:21Z")
The Secretary was a day dreamer as a child and his grade school teacher kept having to say, “Boutros! Boutros Ghali.” ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-ghali/231027/10 "2004-02-25T14:25:13Z")
Also by the way, “Boutros” is an Arabic variant of “Peter” / “Petros”. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-ghali/231027/11 "2004-02-25T14:49:48Z")
Here was me hoping this would be a thread about _The Fast Show_’s [**Chanel 9**](http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/fastshow/characters/chanel9.shtml). ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-ghali/231027/12 "2004-02-25T15:05:38Z")
Bueno estente. Ethethetheth etheth ethethetheth Chris Waddle. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-ghali/231027/13 "2004-02-25T15:11:58Z")
Questa? Sminki pinki bang bang! ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-ghali/231027/14 "2004-02-25T15:24:30Z")
Oooo! Scorchio! El pumpi e pumpi delux ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-ghali/231027/15 "2004-02-25T15:59:30Z")
Uh-oh, problemo technologico! ---
**Author:** ![hammerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hammerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammerbach)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-ghali/231027/16 "2004-02-25T16:11:19Z")
> [@yBeayf](#): > > Also by the way, “Boutros” is an Arabic variant of “Peter” / “Petros”. Please tell me that “Ghali” means “pumpkin eater”. Yes, I know I’m juvenile. ---
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-ghali/231027/17 "2004-02-25T16:23:03Z")
Peter-Peter Precious would be the literal translation. In Arabic, Ghali means ‘precious’ or ‘expensive’. He is a Coptic (Christian) from Egypt, IIRC. Buena estente! ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-ghali/231027/18 "2004-02-25T17:16:18Z")
Does anyone else have this strange desire to go make a new Flash video? ---
**Author:** ![JS\_Princeton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/57b2e6/32.png) [@JS\_Princeton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JS_Princeton)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-ghali/231027/19 "2004-02-25T20:01:37Z")
[NewsRadio] “James James: the man so nice they named him twice.” [/NewsRadio] ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-boutros-ghali/231027/20 "2004-02-26T04:38:05Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Does anyone else have this strange desire to go make a new Flash video? Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Ghali Ghali Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Ghali Ghali Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Ghali Ghali Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros **KOFI ANNAN! ANNAN! ANNAN! OH, IT’S KOFI ANNAN!**