# Figures who use initials as part of their names **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 20, 2012, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/figures-who-use-initials-as-part-of-their-names/641648 "2012-11-20T21:53:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/figures-who-use-initials-as-part-of-their-names/641648/21 "2012-11-20T22:37:50Z")
[W. Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Lee_O%27Daniel), Governor of Texas ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/figures-who-use-initials-as-part-of-their-names/641648/22 "2012-11-20T22:41:16Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > [W. Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Lee_O%27Daniel), Governor of Texas For some reason, that made Robert E Lee spring to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/figures-who-use-initials-as-part-of-their-names/641648/23 "2012-11-20T22:43:33Z")
J. C. Penney C. W Post R. J. Reynolds ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/figures-who-use-initials-as-part-of-their-names/641648/24 "2012-11-20T22:44:36Z")
JP Morgan ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/figures-who-use-initials-as-part-of-their-names/641648/25 "2012-11-20T22:47:30Z")
P. G. Wodehouse. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/figures-who-use-initials-as-part-of-their-names/641648/26 "2012-11-20T22:59:58Z")
> [@tellyworth](#): > > P. G. Wodehouse. “Arty” so not allowed I’m afraid. But that does form a neat circle back to the thread I linked to in the OP with (Reginald) Jeeves. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/figures-who-use-initials-as-part-of-their-names/641648/27 "2012-11-20T23:01:02Z")
He’s an author, but his name’s so weird I had to contribute anyway: Breece D’J Pancake ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/figures-who-use-initials-as-part-of-their-names/641648/28 "2012-11-20T23:03:31Z")
How soon we forget… George W. Bush ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/figures-who-use-initials-as-part-of-their-names/641648/29 "2012-11-20T23:05:35Z")
> [@freckafree](#): > > He’s an author, but his name’s so weird I had to contribute anyway: > > Breece D’J Pancake I am SO having a child and calling it Rob D’J Dog (possibly with a “the second” for good measure. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/figures-who-use-initials-as-part-of-their-names/641648/30 "2012-11-20T23:16:11Z")
How about [W. E. B. Du Bois](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._E._B._Du_Bois)? ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/figures-who-use-initials-as-part-of-their-names/641648/31 "2012-11-20T23:28:29Z")
Booker T Washington John D Rockefeller ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/figures-who-use-initials-as-part-of-their-names/641648/32 "2012-11-20T23:29:13Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > How about [W. E. B. Du Bois](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._E._B._Du_Bois)? Thanks for that, an interesting person indeed that I’d not heard of before. I wonder why he became known as W E B when he apparently insisted as being addressed as Dr. Du Bois? Oh, and from that Wikipedia article… Booker T Washington. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/figures-who-use-initials-as-part-of-their-names/641648/33 "2012-11-20T23:30:46Z")
> [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](#): > > Booker T Washington > John D Rockefeller Ninja’d! ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/figures-who-use-initials-as-part-of-their-names/641648/34 "2012-11-20T23:31:18Z")
If you actually look at scholarly and scientific publications, you will find that the authors almost always use initials for any middle names they may have, and sometimes for their first name too. Furthermore, citation styles for scientific works (not so much so in the humanities) just about universally prescribe that just the initial should be used for the first name as well. Thus, in an important sense, _all_ scientists, these days, are _formally_ known within their profession by their initials (and last name). That does not carry over into popularizations of science, of course, but then, authors there are deliberately striving for informality. Mind you, even in science popularizations, some scientist remain primarily or commonly known via their initials rather than their forenames: P.A.M. Dirac, J.J. Thompson, J.B. Watson, and T.H. Huxley spring to mind. In the humanities (history), E.P. Thompson is one. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/figures-who-use-initials-as-part-of-their-names/641648/35 "2012-11-20T23:32:44Z")
[C. Wright Mills](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._Wright_Mills) [E. Howard Hunt](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._Howard_Hunt) [W. Clement Stone](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Clement_Stone) [F. Lee Bailey](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._Lee_Bailey) Hmmmmm. Doesn’t look like there are any women in this thread. Wonder why? ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/figures-who-use-initials-as-part-of-their-names/641648/36 "2012-11-20T23:36:11Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > If you actually look at scholarly and scientific publications, you will find that the authors almost always use initials for any middle names they may have, and sometimes for their first name too. Furthermore, citation styles for scientific works (not so much so in the humanities) just about universally prescribe that just the initial should be used for the first name as well. Thus, in an important sense, all scientists are formally known within their profession by their initials (and last name). That does not carry over into popularizations of science, of course, but then that is deliberately striving for informality. > > Mind you, even in science popularizations, some scientist remain primarily or commonly known via their initials rather than their forenames: P.A.M. Dirac, J.J. Thompson, J.B. Watson, and T.H. Huxley spring to mind. > > In the humanities (history), E.P. Thompson is one. Ah, interesting. I wonder if that convention has led to those in the arts using initials as a way of adding a gloss of seriousness to themselves? ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/figures-who-use-initials-as-part-of-their-names/641648/37 "2012-11-20T23:37:59Z")
H. Ross Perot J.R. “Bob” Dobbs Ulysses S Grant Annie E. Casey John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Alfred P. Sloan (Lots of people who leave money to foundations, aparently!) Alfred E. Newman (What? He counts!) ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/figures-who-use-initials-as-part-of-their-names/641648/38 "2012-11-20T23:41:34Z")
> [@RobDog](#): > > For some reason, that made Robert E Lee spring to mind. Which brings to mind [JEB Stewart](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J.E.B._Stuart). (Pronounced ‘Jeb’, but it IS his initials.) ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/figures-who-use-initials-as-part-of-their-names/641648/39 "2012-11-20T23:47:14Z")
Right. So plenty of examples from outside of the arts. Obviously my initial list was skewed by my woeful lack of general knowledge. I wonder then if there is a genesis for this trend? What’s the **earliest** example anyone can come up with of a figure who commonly used initials as their first/middle names? ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/figures-who-use-initials-as-part-of-their-names/641648/40 "2012-11-20T23:50:48Z")
G. Gordon Liddy F.A.O. Schwartz (known as a store now, but named after founder [Frederick August Otto Schwarz](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_August_Otto_Schwarz)). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/figures-who-use-initials-as-part-of-their-names/641648.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/figures-who-use-initials-as-part-of-their-names/641648.md?page=3)