# Singers with completely unique first names (and actors too) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 17, 2006, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-completely-unique-first-names-and-actors-too/369146 "2006-08-17T22:01:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-completely-unique-first-names-and-actors-too/369146/41 "2006-08-18T20:27:49Z")
[QUOTE=xizor] Is Uma Thurmond a given name? [/QUOTE] Yes it is. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-completely-unique-first-names-and-actors-too/369146/42 "2006-08-18T20:39:39Z")
[QUOTE=xizor] Is Uma Thurmond a given name? [/QUOTE] Yes, it is AFAIK. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-completely-unique-first-names-and-actors-too/369146/43 "2006-08-18T20:43:53Z")
Orenthal Clerow (Wilson) Lemonjello and Oranjello ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-completely-unique-first-names-and-actors-too/369146/44 "2006-08-18T21:33:15Z")
Yep, Uma was born **Uma Karuna Thurman**. Tori Amos was born **Myra Ellen Amos**. I love these names you guys are coming up with. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-completely-unique-first-names-and-actors-too/369146/45 "2006-08-18T22:51:43Z")
All these posts and no nitpicking of the title yet? What’s the difference between “unique” and “completely unique”? Can something be “partially unique”? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-completely-unique-first-names-and-actors-too/369146/46 "2006-08-18T23:33:41Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] All these posts and no nitpicking of the title yet? What’s the difference between “unique” and “completely unique”? Can something be “partially unique”? 🙂 [/QUOTE] The official definition of “unique” is completely alone in the universe. Colloquially, though, it’s a synonym for “rare,” unless you’re a [del]prick[/del] traditionalist. ---
**Author:** ![Spongemom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Spongemom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spongemom)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-completely-unique-first-names-and-actors-too/369146/47 "2006-08-18T23:41:03Z")
Would Wentworth Miller qualify? I’ve never heard of any other Wentworths. ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-completely-unique-first-names-and-actors-too/369146/48 "2006-08-19T07:15:13Z")
Blossom Dearie. Eagle Eye Cherry. Kaki King. I’ve never heard of another Tegan, so I suppose Tegan Rain Quin of Tegan & Sara would count, unless someone comes in with evidence to the contrary. Is Wyclef Jean the name he was born with? ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-completely-unique-first-names-and-actors-too/369146/49 "2006-08-19T07:16:33Z")
I can’t read Wikipedia, apparently–his name is Nelust Wyclef Jean. ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-completely-unique-first-names-and-actors-too/369146/50 "2006-08-19T07:24:33Z")
And, to make a triple post because I _really_ can’t read, according to this from the OP: [quote] singers and actors with unique first names ( **to their profession** , that is)\* Sufjan Stevens. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-completely-unique-first-names-and-actors-too/369146/51 "2006-08-19T12:56:09Z")
You mentioned Loudon Wainwright III and didn’t mention his son Rufus? How many Rufus’s are there? ---
**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 19, 2006, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-completely-unique-first-names-and-actors-too/369146/52 "2006-08-19T14:43:02Z")
[Rufus Thomas](http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Rufus%20Thomas.html). I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s who Rufus Wainwright was named for. There was also, of course, a whole band called [Rufus](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDFx-zCLs68). ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-completely-unique-first-names-and-actors-too/369146/53 "2006-08-19T15:04:59Z")
There have been any number of C&W singers with names that are at least unusual if not unique: Faron Young Ferlin Husky Webb Pierce Porter Waggoner Henson Cargill Tompall Glaser ---
**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:** [August 19, 2006, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-completely-unique-first-names-and-actors-too/369146/54 "2006-08-19T18:19:35Z")
I suggest looking up artist names in the comprehensive [All Music Guide](http://www.allmusic.com/) database to check for uniqueness. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-completely-unique-first-names-and-actors-too/369146/55 "2006-08-20T08:38:48Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] Can something be “partially unique”? 🙂 [/QUOTE] Well, I was gonna say “sorta unique” but uh… Ok, so I talk funny. I’m one of those people who annoys other people by my speech habits, because I often speak and write in redundancy and cliches. It’s a bad, bad habit. 😉 [QUOTE=AwSnappity] I can’t read Wikipedia, apparently–his name is Nelust Wyclef Jean. [/QUOTE] Hey, I’ll take that. I took Pier Angeli, and besides, to not take a Nelust Wyclef would wrong on so many levels. What a name! I don’t know any other Wentworths, in music at least. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-completely-unique-first-names-and-actors-too/369146.md?page=2)