# Celebrities with last names which are never used **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 26, 2004, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-with-last-names-which-are-never-used/271254 "2004-10-26T16:34:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-with-last-names-which-are-never-used/271254/21 "2004-10-26T22:19:00Z")
Lemmy. He’s not just a celebrity–he’s a walking, talking archetype! ---
**Author:** ![Waccoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Waccoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waccoe)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-with-last-names-which-are-never-used/271254/22 "2004-10-26T22:40:44Z")
> [@xgxlx](#): > > I had to stop and think a minute about Ben. So who is it? ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-with-last-names-which-are-never-used/271254/23 "2004-10-26T23:15:25Z")
> [@The Gaspode](#): > > Elvis. Costello? Grbac? How about Topol? Vendella? Charo? Liberace? ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-with-last-names-which-are-never-used/271254/24 "2004-10-26T23:33:18Z")
Can’t believe nobody’s mentioned Oprah or Whoopi. Besides Vendela, there’s Iman in the modeling world. [Margo](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0546712/), [Cantinflas](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0134594/), and [Acquanetta](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0010270/) each used a one-word professional name. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-with-last-names-which-are-never-used/271254/25 "2004-10-26T23:36:05Z")
Father of an 8-year old disney channel-watching girl checking in. Raven LaLaine (Hillary Duff’s friend Miranda on Lizzie McGuire) ---
**Author:** ![chukhung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@chukhung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chukhung)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-with-last-names-which-are-never-used/271254/26 "2004-10-27T00:19:57Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > **Hilary** can only mean one person > [@Max Carnage](#): > > mmmm…Hillary Duff… > [@kaylasdad99](#): > > LaLaine (Hillary Duff’s friend Miranda on Lizzie McGuire) People, the number of "L"s is a _critical_ distinction. One “L” means an [over-hyped teenie bopper](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0240381/). Two "L"s can mean either a [U.S. Senator](http://rds.yahoo.com/S=2766679/K=Hillary+Clinton/v=2/SID=w/l=WS1/R=1/SS=38050225/H=1/IPC=us/SHE=0/SIG=10vb2pojk/*-http%3A//clinton.senate.gov/) or the [conqueror of Everest](http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/hil0pro-1). Wait… Did I just hear a whooshing noise? ---
**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:** [October 27, 2004, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-with-last-names-which-are-never-used/271254/27 "2004-10-27T02:08:02Z")
Dido. Enya. Jewel. ---
**Author:** ![dubs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dubs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dubs)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-with-last-names-which-are-never-used/271254/28 "2004-10-27T02:11:19Z")
Lucy (I Love) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-with-last-names-which-are-never-used/271254/29 "2004-10-27T04:01:50Z")
Toyah ---
**Author:** ![Waccoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Waccoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waccoe)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-with-last-names-which-are-never-used/271254/30 "2004-10-27T09:09:02Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > Ben Hey fusoya …who owns the name Ben? This is starting to get on my nerves. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-with-last-names-which-are-never-used/271254/31 "2004-10-27T09:17:05Z")
Omarossa. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-with-last-names-which-are-never-used/271254/32 "2004-10-27T12:10:50Z")
Osama Adolf Napoleon ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-with-last-names-which-are-never-used/271254/33 "2004-10-27T15:34:46Z")
> [@Waccoe](#): > > Hey fusoya …who owns the name Ben? This is starting to get on my nerves. My boyfriend. Seriously, I’m American, and I don’t know. If they mean Ben Affliction, then they and I can never ever be friends! Ben Affliction is most certainly not the ‘Ben’ to me. Where’s that pukey smiley? Really, Ben stiller isn’t much better. ---
**Author:** ![Waccoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Waccoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waccoe)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-with-last-names-which-are-never-used/271254/34 "2004-10-27T15:39:26Z")
> [@Elenia28](#): > > Seriously, I’m American, and I don’t know. Thank you. I can stop thinking about it now. ---
**Author:** ![melondeca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@melondeca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melondeca)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-with-last-names-which-are-never-used/271254/35 "2004-10-27T15:48:40Z")
How about _Sinbad_ the comedian? He wasn’t around long but I seem to remember that one of his big things was that no one knew his last name. ---
**Author:** ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-with-last-names-which-are-never-used/271254/36 "2004-10-27T16:20:08Z")
Many Brazilian soccer players are known primarily by their first name: \*\*Ronaldo Romario Socrates Gilberto\*\* And several are known by their nicknames: **Pele** (real name: Edson Arantes do Nascimento) \*\*Garrincha Dunga Bebeto Ronaldinho\*\* (nickname for Ronaldo de Assis Moreira–In Brazil, he’s usually called “Ronaldinho Gaucho,” to distinguish him from _the_ Ronaldo, who is often called “Ronaldinho” too.) I should point out that this practice (of referring to people by their first name only) is a common feature in Brazilian culture–it’s not just confined to their sport players. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-with-last-names-which-are-never-used/271254/37 "2004-10-27T16:26:06Z")
In edition to Michael and Shaq (as well as the Brazillian Soccer Stars), I’d add Kobe and LeBron. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-with-last-names-which-are-never-used/271254/38 "2004-10-27T16:46:20Z")
Hah! **Bennifer** manages to capture two people with one name! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-with-last-names-which-are-never-used/271254/39 "2004-10-27T17:24:47Z")
> [@watsonwil](#): > > In edition to Michael and Shaq (as well as the Brazillian Soccer Stars), I’d add Kobe and LeBron. Don’t forget Tiger. ---
**Author:** ![ShadiRoxan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@ShadiRoxan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadiRoxan)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-with-last-names-which-are-never-used/271254/40 "2004-10-27T18:19:01Z")
How about Sigfreid and Roy? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-with-last-names-which-are-never-used/271254.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-with-last-names-which-are-never-used/271254.md?page=3)