# Who of us were named after someone famous? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 14, 2006, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728 "2006-08-14T21:43:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/21 "2006-08-15T06:27:24Z")
I was named after Astronaut Scott Carpenter, who flew about a month before I was born. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/22 "2006-08-15T06:57:40Z")
This [dude](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osiris) ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/23 "2006-08-15T11:42:24Z")
My mother is a big Elvis fan–within the bounds of reason, but definitely a big fan. Only ten years or so ago, I realized that my name (Jessica) bears a striking resemblanceto the name of Elvis’ stillborn twin brother (Jesse). I asked Mom about it, and while she insists that’s _not_ where she got the name, she claims she should have thought of it, and it’s okay if I tell people it was on purpose. 🙂 ---
**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 15, 2006, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/24 "2006-08-15T12:17:50Z")
Both me and my brother’–His middle name is “Howard,” same as my mother’s. We’re from the same Howard family as President William Howard Taft and his descendants, and my middle name “Anne” is from my grandmother’s grandmother Anne Lucy Howard. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/25 "2006-08-15T12:50:37Z")
One of my roommates in college was named Alvin, after the chipmunk. His brother and sister were about 10 when he was born, and suggested the name to his parents, who didn’t know anything about the cartoon. At least, that’s what his siblings told him about how he got his name. And though he wasn’t named after anyone, my son, born Friday, shares a first name with a [balding starship captain.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-luc_Picard) ---
**Author:** ![Carlyjay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Carlyjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carlyjay)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/26 "2006-08-15T13:32:51Z")
I was sorta-indirectly named after Carly Simon. My parents met a couple who had named their daughter after Carly Simon, and so my parents technically named me after a baby who was named after Carly Simon. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/27 "2006-08-15T13:39:57Z")
Me! I was named after a famous Indian actress. :face falls: Oh. You’ve never heard of her. ---
**Author:** ![slai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@slai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slai)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/28 "2006-08-15T13:49:19Z")
I had a highschool friend named Rhiannon. I always loved her name. Later, I found out her mom named her after the Fleetwood Mac song. Yep, we were born in the 70’s. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/29 "2006-08-15T13:59:47Z")
Though not named after her, my mom liked the way Shari Lewis spelled her name and copied her. It was pretty unique when I was younger; now not so much. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/30 "2006-08-15T14:12:50Z")
[QUOTE=Antigen] My middle name is taken from a song about a hooker. Thanks, Mom! [/QUOTE] Lilly or Marlene? Myself- named after my father, who was named after Movie Art Director _Cedric_ Gibbons. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/31 "2006-08-15T14:16:27Z")
[QUOTE=WOOKINPANUB] Though not named after her, my mom liked the way Shari Lewis spelled her name and copied her. It was pretty unique when I was younger; now not so much. [/QUOTE] Btw, I finally got your User Name! :smack: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![supervenusfreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@supervenusfreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supervenusfreak)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/32 "2006-08-15T14:37:36Z")
My father was in the military in the fifties, so I was named after President Eisenhower. Go me! ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/33 "2006-08-15T14:58:53Z")
[QUOTE=Hal Briston] St. Paul. [/QUOTE] St. Gwendolen, who is rather less-known than Paul. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/34 "2006-08-15T15:18:56Z")
[QUOTE=Rhiannon8404] I was named for my aunt, the author Elizabeth Ogilvie. While perhaps not famous, definitely well known in East Coast literary circles for her novels set in Maine and New England. [/QUOTE] That’s excellent, I love Elizabeth Ogilvie’s books! ---
**Author:** ![Carlyjay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Carlyjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carlyjay)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/35 "2006-08-15T15:39:49Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed] Lilly or Marlene? Myself- named after my father, who was named after Movie Art Director _Cedric_ Gibbons. [/QUOTE] My guess is “Roxanne”. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/36 "2006-08-15T18:09:10Z")
I was named after [this](http://www.harperacademic.com/catalog/instructors_guide_xml.asp?isbn=0380001411) person. My mom already liked the name but after reading Katherine Marshall’s book, it was solidified. ---
**Author:** ![Ceejaytee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ceejaytee/32/2956_2.png) [@Ceejaytee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ceejaytee)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/37 "2006-08-15T18:49:53Z")
My younger son is named after Benjamin Franklin. We did not name the older one after Aaron Burr, but sometimes we pretend we did, just to get the Revolutionary War package. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/38 "2006-08-15T19:11:12Z")
I don’t know if biblical people count for this thread (they _are_ famous, after all), but I’ll participate anyway. My sister’s Sunday school lesson the preceding Sunday before I was born was about Daniel in the lion’s den, so she suggested that my name be Daniel (Dan for short). ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/39 "2006-08-15T21:33:39Z")
My first name is Robert, officially in honor of an uncle who died before I was born, but the decision was cemented by the fact that my dad’s favorite baseball pitcher was the Cleveland Indians’ Bob Feller. My sister is named Kathryn – that particular spelling was chosen because of my parents’ admiration for the actress Kathryn Grayson. One of my dad’s cousins named a son Ronald after the actor Ronald Colman. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/40 "2006-08-15T21:51:19Z")
Not me, but my godchildren- Jean-Luc, after the starship captain Chani, after the character in Frank Herbert’s _Dune_ series [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728.md?page=3)