# Unusual Middle Names (not a mnemonic, but similar) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 27, 2024, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-middle-names-not-a-mnemonic-but-similar/1010867 "2024-11-27T20:15:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-middle-names-not-a-mnemonic-but-similar/1010867/1 "2024-11-27T20:15:18Z")
Several decades ago, I remember hearing a list of unusual middle names of famous people. It was something like “riddle strange only true”. “Strange” is the middle name of Robert S. McNamara, who was secretary of defense under Kennedy and Johnson. The other three I don’t know; I’m not even sure those are the correct names. Does anyone else remember hearing a list like this a long time ago? I’ve tried googling, but I’m not finding anything. “middle name riddle” only returns riddles about middle names, or Tom Riddle from the Harry Potter series. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2024, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-middle-names-not-a-mnemonic-but-similar/1010867/2 "2024-11-28T00:09:48Z")
Googling exactly this: **Person whose middle name is “Riddle”** … brought up many false hits as you found, but also turned up that Jimmy Hoffa’s full name was James Riddle Hoffa. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2024, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-middle-names-not-a-mnemonic-but-similar/1010867/3 "2024-11-28T00:16:04Z")
Maybe not exactly what you’re interested in finding, but I have always thought that the author [Mopsy Strange Kennedy](https://ccae.org/about/instructors/mopsy-strange-kennedy) had the weirdest yet most easily remembered name I ever heard. (Linking so you know I’m not making this up.) ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2024, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-middle-names-not-a-mnemonic-but-similar/1010867/4 "2024-11-28T00:50:54Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > James Riddle Hoffa Yes! He was one of them. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2024, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-middle-names-not-a-mnemonic-but-similar/1010867/5 "2024-11-28T09:40:45Z")
Here are some. ➤ Kate Hudson — Kate Garry Hudson ➤ Richard Gere — Richard Tiffany Gere ➤ Elton John — Elton Hercules John ➤ Billie Eilish — Eilish is actually her middle name: Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell ➤ Adele — Adele Laurie Blue Adkins ➤ Martin Short — Martin Hayter Short ➤ Hilary Duff — Hilary Erhard Duff ➤ Billie Piper — her birth name is Leian Paul Piper ➤ Will Smith — Willard Carroll Smith II Or maybe it’s Will “get my wife’s name out yo fuc#ing mouth!” Smith ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2024, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-middle-names-not-a-mnemonic-but-similar/1010867/6 "2024-11-28T11:16:44Z")
Moxie Crimefighter Jillette. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2024, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-middle-names-not-a-mnemonic-but-similar/1010867/7 "2024-11-28T11:23:55Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > Elton John — Elton Hercules John His birth name was **Reginald Kenneth Dwight**. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2024, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-middle-names-not-a-mnemonic-but-similar/1010867/8 "2024-11-28T13:27:53Z")
Quincy Jones died earlier this month. His full name was Quincy Delight Jones, Jr. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2024, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-middle-names-not-a-mnemonic-but-similar/1010867/9 "2024-11-28T18:30:42Z")
> [@eburacum45](#): > > > [@Bullitt](#): > > > > Elton John — Elton Hercules John > > His birth name was **Reginald Kenneth Dwight**. I know. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2024, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-middle-names-not-a-mnemonic-but-similar/1010867/10 "2024-11-28T19:07:04Z")
My three favorites: Louis Comfort Tiffany Oliver Hazard Perry Harry S Truman Ulysses S Grant was born Hiram Ulysses Grant ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2024, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-middle-names-not-a-mnemonic-but-similar/1010867/11 "2024-11-28T19:09:07Z")
Let’s not forget the first commissioner of baseball, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis. (To be clear, Judge is a title, not his first name.) ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2024, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-middle-names-not-a-mnemonic-but-similar/1010867/12 "2024-11-28T20:32:26Z")
And then there is Nicolas Kim Coppola. Nicolas Cage. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2024, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-middle-names-not-a-mnemonic-but-similar/1010867/13 "2024-11-28T20:49:07Z")
From US history I’ve always been fond of - Warren Gamaliel Harding - William Tecumseh Sherman ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2024, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-middle-names-not-a-mnemonic-but-similar/1010867/14 "2024-11-28T22:45:04Z")
James Cash Penney. Better known as J.C. Fated to think of money. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2024, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-middle-names-not-a-mnemonic-but-similar/1010867/15 "2024-11-28T22:54:46Z")
My father’s middle name (and my brother’s) was “Bachelor”. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2024, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-middle-names-not-a-mnemonic-but-similar/1010867/16 "2024-11-29T00:11:08Z")
[Arthur Purdy Stout](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Purdy_Stout) was a renowned 20th century surgical pathologist. Always enjoyed that name. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2024, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-middle-names-not-a-mnemonic-but-similar/1010867/17 "2024-11-29T00:16:28Z")
Denton True “Cy” Young ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2024, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-middle-names-not-a-mnemonic-but-similar/1010867/18 "2024-11-29T00:31:26Z")
Excellent, so I can start a middle name version of _Who’s On First?_, with a ball player bonus "Did you know that Robert McNamara’s middle name was “Strange”? “It was, what was it?” “Strange.” “I mean, how strange, was it dirty or something.” “No, it was Strange.” “I think you’re just lying to me.” “It was Strange.” “True?” “No, that’s Cy Young’s middle name.” … ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2024, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-middle-names-not-a-mnemonic-but-similar/1010867/19 "2024-11-29T00:57:25Z")
According the Jeopardy just now, the full name is Charles Entertainment Cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2024, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-middle-names-not-a-mnemonic-but-similar/1010867/20 "2024-11-29T00:59:20Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > “riddle strange only true” We have three out of four now; I can’t swear it was Cy Young originally, but I’m going to go with it. As I said, I may have misremembered. It may have been “riddle strange even true”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-middle-names-not-a-mnemonic-but-similar/1010867.md?page=2)