# Famous people with names that sound like pseudonyms but aren't **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 26, 2011, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-names-that-sound-like-pseudonyms-but-arent/594190 "2011-08-26T16:07:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-names-that-sound-like-pseudonyms-but-arent/594190/61 "2011-08-27T17:14:52Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > David Bowie’s real name (David Jones) sounds more like a pseudonym than the pseudonym that he actually uses. Recall that Bowie first started trying to break out right after the Monkees became a big thing-yeah he probably would have changed it anyway… ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-names-that-sound-like-pseudonyms-but-arent/594190/62 "2011-08-27T17:23:21Z")
While “Michael J. Fox” is technically a pseudonym, the part that most sounds made up isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-names-that-sound-like-pseudonyms-but-arent/594190/63 "2011-08-27T18:19:53Z")
Mothers of Invention/Captain Beefheart percussionist Art Tripp (also known as Artie). Full name: Arthur Dyre Tripp III. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-names-that-sound-like-pseudonyms-but-arent/594190/64 "2011-08-27T19:21:11Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > “And **Dick Trickle** finished 23rd.” _Days of Thunder_ made it to the UK when I was a kid, even though NASCAR never has (except in the sense that Britons know that Americans do this thing called “stock car racing” around an oval). I remember thinking that nobody would possibly think “Cole Trickle” could have been a real person’s name. You can imagine my surprise when I was about 13 and heard of the real Mr. Trickle for the first time. ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-names-that-sound-like-pseudonyms-but-arent/594190/65 "2011-08-27T20:49:00Z")
I have always thought that [Moon Bloodgood](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1291227/) sounds like a character from a really bad vampire novel. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-names-that-sound-like-pseudonyms-but-arent/594190/66 "2011-08-27T22:53:51Z")
There’s an Israeli television personality whose name is pronounced “Guy Penis” (I think he writes it “Pines”). He loves getting foreign celebrities to say his name. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-names-that-sound-like-pseudonyms-but-arent/594190/67 "2011-08-28T01:10:48Z")
[Overend Watts](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Watts_%28musician%29) of _Mott the Hoople_. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-names-that-sound-like-pseudonyms-but-arent/594190/68 "2011-08-28T01:41:02Z")
Soleil Moon-Frye. And her half-brother, Meeno Peluce. Conrad Bain does not sound like a made-up name. His identical twin, [Bonar Bain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonar_Bain), however, does. Singer [Leslie Uggams](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Uggams) once told someone who asked if her name was made up, “Uggams is a name you change _from_, not to.” ---
**Author:** ![goldmund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a4c791/32.png) [@goldmund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goldmund)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-names-that-sound-like-pseudonyms-but-arent/594190/69 "2011-08-28T01:47:56Z")
[Marshall Brain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Brain), founder of [howstuffworks.com](http://howstuffworks.com). ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-names-that-sound-like-pseudonyms-but-arent/594190/70 "2011-08-28T02:19:25Z")
The author Aphrodite Jones. The first time I heard of her I called bullshit. But it’s really her name. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-names-that-sound-like-pseudonyms-but-arent/594190/71 "2011-08-28T04:20:14Z")
TV meteorologist [Amy Freeze](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Freeze). What’s with all the meteorologists with weather-related names? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-names-that-sound-like-pseudonyms-but-arent/594190/72 "2011-08-28T07:27:35Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Two magicians on the recent Penn and Teller show Fool us had the surnames of Young and Strange, and named their act accordingly. You find those good, but not Penn Jilette and the guy who doesn’t talk with the surname of Teller? 😃 Usain Bolt Johnny Unitas Joe Theismann (because of Heisman) Chase Utley Dweezil & Moon Unit Zappa ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-names-that-sound-like-pseudonyms-but-arent/594190/73 "2011-08-28T08:09:50Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > The author Aphrodite Jones. The first time I heard of her I called bullshit. But it’s really her name. Jones is a very very common name, and Aphrodite isn’t that weird or unusual > [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Usain Bolt This, a thousand times this. It must have really helped with endorsements. The most striking thing about it, is Bolt is his surname, not his given name. I wouldn’t be too surprised if some running enthuiasts named their baby Bolt, and shared their passion with him, but surnames are inherited and rarely changed. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-names-that-sound-like-pseudonyms-but-arent/594190/74 "2011-08-28T08:36:45Z")
Radio hostess [Kim Komando](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Komando). ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-names-that-sound-like-pseudonyms-but-arent/594190/75 "2011-08-28T14:08:24Z")
Oh yeah, and Chris Moneymaker. I didn’t believe that for the longest time after he won the main event in the World Series of Poker. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-names-that-sound-like-pseudonyms-but-arent/594190/76 "2011-08-28T22:56:13Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Mike Hunt, former Green Bay Packer linebacker. Similarly, former Michigan Attorney General, Mike Cox. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-names-that-sound-like-pseudonyms-but-arent/594190/77 "2011-08-28T23:54:37Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Similarly, former Michigan Attorney General, Mike Cox. He has more than one??!! ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-names-that-sound-like-pseudonyms-but-arent/594190/78 "2011-08-29T00:27:27Z")
> [@postcards](#): > > Former New York Met Howard Johnson. A former president of MIT had that name, too. He was not related to the Restauranteur and Ice-Cream Maker, although the two did meet on one occasion: > **[A tribute to MIT's Howard Johnson](https://news.mit.edu/1999/johnson-0609)** I nominate _Christian Christiansen_, discoverer of the optical _Christiansen Effect_. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-names-that-sound-like-pseudonyms-but-arent/594190/79 "2011-08-29T00:29:31Z")
The founder of MLG (Major League Gaming) has the real name of Sundance DiGiovanni. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-names-that-sound-like-pseudonyms-but-arent/594190/80 "2011-08-29T03:17:11Z")
Walter Cannon, the physiologist who came up with the “Flight or Fight” model [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-names-that-sound-like-pseudonyms-but-arent/594190.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-with-names-that-sound-like-pseudonyms-but-arent/594190.md?page=5)