# Famous people with animal names **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 19, 2025, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-animal-names/1018555 "2025-05-19T19:05:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2025, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-animal-names/1018555/181 "2025-06-03T16:35:01Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Paleontologist [Jerzy Dzik](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerzy_Dzik) (“dzik” is Polish for “wild boar”). See the remark about them being _English_ animal names. ---
**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:** [June 3, 2025, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-animal-names/1018555/182 "2025-06-03T16:36:23Z")
Ah. Translated in the wrong direction. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2025, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-animal-names/1018555/183 "2025-06-04T10:05:44Z")
But does that mean we can count Olympic gold medalist — and member of the Magnificent Seven — Amy Chow? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2025, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-animal-names/1018555/184 "2025-06-04T11:43:08Z")
I thought of Chow earlier, but the dog breed is actually called Chow Chow. They could have put a third Chow in there and then we’d all be dancing. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2025, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-animal-names/1018555/185 "2025-06-04T12:10:54Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > I thought of Chow earlier, but the dog breed is actually called Chow Chow. I had the same thought and the same doubt — but I talked myself back into it after looking at the Wiki entry, which of course starts referring to them the way that you or I might: _“One Chinese ruler was said to own 5,000 Chows. The Chinese also used Chows to pull dog sleds through swampy terrain, and this was remarked upon by Marco Polo.”_ I’m just saying, if we ran into someone who excitedly tells us they just adopted a Chow from the animal shelter, we wouldn’t give them a confused look, is all. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2025, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-animal-names/1018555/186 "2025-06-04T12:14:13Z")
100% correct, you are. Chow Yun-Fat (I wonder if he has a purple tongue!) ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2025, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-animal-names/1018555/187 "2025-06-04T14:05:41Z")
Maybe not famous enough but there was a basketball player for Austin Peay (pronounced “pee”) named Fly Williams (James). Apparently he was the star on the team and went to the ABA. How I know of him… There was a story about a chant the fans came up with. “The Fly is open, let’s go Peay”. Apparently, they still say “Let’s go Peay” at their games. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2025, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-animal-names/1018555/188 "2025-06-05T05:12:11Z")
At that: Dopers being what we are, one name that keeps popping up on the SDMB is that of award-winning mathematician Jacques Tits. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2025, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-animal-names/1018555/189 "2025-06-05T05:48:18Z")
Hard to follow that. I don’t think I’ve seen **James Whale** mentioned. He’s the director of Frankenstein and other classic horror flicks of the 1930s. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2025, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-animal-names/1018555/190 "2025-06-05T11:52:11Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](#): > > I don’t think I’ve seen **James Whale** mentioned. Post #99. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2025, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-animal-names/1018555/191 "2025-06-05T15:10:58Z")
You reminded me of science fiction writer Michael **Moorcock**. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-animal-names/1018555/192 "2025-06-06T10:24:21Z")
> [@Sternvogel](#): > > You reminded me of science fiction writer Michael **Moorcock** Your name reminds me that Gold Glove fielder **Starling** Marte, who has more stolen bases than any other active player in Major League Baseball, also has more triples than any other active player in Major League Baseball. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-animal-names/1018555/193 "2025-06-06T15:18:29Z")
Thought I had the Sure Fire Thread Winner here, instead, it’s Have-A-Horselaugh-On-burpo Time; 1. Baltimore has a Paca Street; named for one of the country’s Founding Fathers and a big deal in early Maryland politics., 2. My whole life there has been a car dealer in the Free State named **Al Paca** (or so I thought). I assumed he was a descendant of the FF Paca and his parents were geniuses giving him a name with such commercial appeal., 3. I was gonna have a double whammy: an **alpaca** is a draft animal and a **paca** is some kind of rodent., 4. The gentleman’s name is Al Packer., 5. 🤬🤬🤬🤬. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2025, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-animal-names/1018555/194 "2025-06-07T09:57:01Z")
That (a) is still a valiant effort to make a first name and last name work, and (b) brings to mind [Jack Russell.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Russell_(musician)) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2025, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-animal-names/1018555/195 "2025-06-07T13:16:34Z")
He looks like he might actually be able to pull a live rat out of a hole in the ground with his teeth. 😆 Something similar worked for Ozzy. Thanks for the encouraging words re: Mr. Packer. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2025, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-animal-names/1018555/196 "2025-06-07T14:11:38Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](#): > > Hard to follow that. I don’t think I’ve seen **James Whale** mentioned. He’s the director of Frankenstein and other classic horror flicks of the 1930s. Also the name of a BBC radio presenter and frequent Death Pool pick. ---
**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:** [June 7, 2025, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-animal-names/1018555/197 "2025-06-07T17:03:56Z")
Would these count? **Eddie Fisher** (singer, father of Carrie Fisher) **Tom Carper** (former governor of and Senator from Delaware) Not to mention **Joseph Robinette Biden** and his son and grandson. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2025, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-animal-names/1018555/198 "2025-06-07T23:29:51Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > **Eddie Fisher** (singer, father of Carrie Fisher) > **Tom Carper** (former governor of and Senator from Delaware) > > Not to mention **Joseph Robinette Biden** and his son and grandson Fisher is an animal, so that counts. Carper and Robinette are out. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2025, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-animal-names/1018555/199 "2025-06-07T23:36:40Z")
But do we get to count Pom Klementieff, who as we speak is yet again appearing on screens across the country in the latest MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE movie? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2025, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-animal-names/1018555/200 "2025-06-07T23:46:11Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > But do we get to count Pom Klementieff, I suppose so. I assume you mean Pom = Pomeranian dog, right? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-animal-names/1018555.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-animal-names/1018555.md?page=11)