# Circumcised First Names **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 26, 2009, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcised-first-names/490831 "2009-03-26T02:49:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcised-first-names/490831/1 "2009-03-26T02:49:53Z")
I knew that Topher Grace was born Christopher Grace and circumcised his name for show biz. I just found out that Ving Rhames was born Irving. Good choice, Ving. So who else lopped off the front part of their first names? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcised-first-names/490831/2 "2009-03-26T02:51:58Z")
Darn. You can’t edit thread titles. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcised-first-names/490831/3 "2009-03-26T02:57:12Z")
Liam Neeson, born (Wil)liam. Liam Gallagher also comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcised-first-names/490831/4 "2009-03-26T03:23:01Z")
Taye Diggs is really Scott Diggs, he took his stage name from the exaggerated pronunciation of his youthful nickname: Scot-taye. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcised-first-names/490831/5 "2009-03-26T03:56:29Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Darn. You can’t edit thread titles. I must not be thinking clearly tonight, but I can’t figure out what title you wanted. It is an attention grabber. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcised-first-names/490831/6 "2009-03-26T04:10:36Z")
[Xander Berkeley](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xander_Berkeley) was (Ale)xander Berkeley. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcised-first-names/490831/7 "2009-03-26T04:11:17Z")
Telly Savalas was originally Aristoteles Savalas - the “Telly” coming from the AristoTELEs" ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcised-first-names/490831/8 "2009-03-26T04:18:49Z")
I know some people use “Drew” as a shortening of “Andrew”, but I’m not sure if it’s true of celebrity Drews like Drew Carey. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcised-first-names/490831/9 "2009-03-26T07:55:35Z")
Gene is usually short for Eugene (e.g., Gene Kelly). Bert is often short for Herbert, Robert, or Albert. Bert McCracken is a Robert. I can’t think of any celebrity example, but Ric is sometimes short for Eric. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcised-first-names/490831/10 "2009-03-26T08:43:41Z")
Gina, Geena, and Ginny are often short for Virginia. (e.g., Geena Davis). Trisha, Tricia, and Trish are often short for Patricia (e.g., Tricia Nixon Cox). Becca is short for Rebecca, but I can’t think of any celebrity examples. Tina is sometimes short for Christina. Tina Yothers is a Kristina. Tina Fey’s real middle name is “Stamatina.” Trina is sometimes short for Katrina or similar but I can’t think of any celebrity examples. Tori Spelling is a Victoria. Linda is sometimes short for Belinda or Melinda, but I can’t think of celebrity examples. ---
**Author:** ![mrpayday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@mrpayday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrpayday)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcised-first-names/490831/11 "2009-03-26T10:34:05Z")
Van Morrison, born George Ivan Morrison. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcised-first-names/490831/12 "2009-03-26T11:27:17Z")
> [@The\_Controvert](#): > > [Xander Berkeley](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xander_Berkeley) was (Ale)xander Berkeley. Similarly with John Cassavetes’s and Gena Rowlands’s actress/director daughter Xan (Alexandra) Cassavetes. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcised-first-names/490831/13 "2009-03-26T11:39:35Z")
Most of these shortenings I’d never realized were such. My given first name is Gregory. By their logic I could shorten my first name to “Gory”. Cool. ---
**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:** [March 26, 2009, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcised-first-names/490831/14 "2009-03-26T12:08:33Z")
Bram Stoker = Abraham ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcised-first-names/490831/15 "2009-03-26T12:18:56Z")
Both Demi Moore and youngster Demi Lovato have the same first name- Demetria. ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcised-first-names/490831/16 "2009-03-26T12:30:42Z")
One of my best friends had his name changed to Jay when he was 10. He was named Junius till then even though no one ever called him that. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcised-first-names/490831/17 "2009-03-26T12:41:52Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > I must not be thinking clearly tonight, but I can’t figure out what title you wanted. > > It is an attention grabber. Probably “circumscribed first names”, right? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcised-first-names/490831/18 "2009-03-26T12:46:27Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Most of these shortenings I’d never realized were such. My given first name is Gregory. By their logic I could shorten my first name to “Gory”. Cool. One of my friends calls me Bert. I hate her. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcised-first-names/490831/19 "2009-03-26T13:09:21Z")
[Topher Grace](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0333410/) went with the non-Chris shortening. I seem to recall that in those days, some kids called “pizza” _za_ with the same desire to be different. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcised-first-names/490831/20 "2009-03-26T13:57:37Z")
Matt is short for Matthew, as in Matt Damon, I assume, and Jo or Joe is often short for Joseph (or Josephine) but I’m blanking on any celebs it might apply to… ah, UK dj Jo Whiley is really Johanne. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcised-first-names/490831.md?page=2)