# Who was the first one-name star? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 29, 2002, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138 "2002-09-29T19:40:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/21 "2002-09-30T17:08:22Z")
_Damn_. Make that “1821–58.” She’d be a tad more famous today if she were alive at the age of 181 . . . ---
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/22 "2002-09-30T18:05:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SolGrundy \* > \*\*I was going to suggest Houdini, too. At least, if you’re just talking about “entertainers.” Artists have a long history of being referred to by last name only – Mozart, Beethoven, Cezanne, Monet, David, etc. Maybe the distinction you’re looking for is someone who promoted _himself_ as a one-name celebrity. \*\* These people are commonly referred to by their last names only but did have full names that were likely used at the time and are still used on their works. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Claude Monet, Ludwig Von Beethoven, Paul Cezanne (I think) ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/23 "2002-09-30T18:07:41Z")
Topol? Cantinflas? ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/24 "2002-09-30T18:09:24Z")
How about Liberace? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/25 "2002-09-30T18:54:06Z")
Sirius. The ancient Egyptians knew it under the name “Sothos” just after 4000 BC. Oh, you meant… [sub]So that’s why they put it in Café Society, not GQ!![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/26 "2002-09-30T19:16:31Z")
Didn’t ancient Egyptians always look through their telescopes and go, “oh, you _can’t_ be _Sirius!_” ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/27 "2002-09-30T22:10:07Z")
Gerrardo? Martika? Snow? ---
**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:** [September 30, 2002, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/28 "2002-09-30T22:35:12Z")
In the movies, Boris Karloff was billed simply as “Karloff” in some of the Frankenstein movies, so that dates back to the 1930s. Also from the same era, Sabu. Valentino and Garbo, to my knowledge, were never billed by a single name, but they were certainly promoted that way (“Garbo laughs!”) There may have been some well known acts from the silent era who were billed by one name, but there were certainly many who were recognized by only one name (Chaplain, the Great Caruso and The Babe to name a few.) ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/29 "2002-09-30T22:47:05Z")
Homer. Not Simpson, the other one. Or Harpo. Groucho? Chicooooo… ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/30 "2002-10-01T03:07:46Z")
Liberace’s first name was Lee. Fabian? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/31 "2002-10-01T05:36:19Z")
Nope, “Lee” was just short for Liberace. His full name was Wladziu Valentino Liberace. (Italian-American father, Polish-American mother.) ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/32 "2002-10-01T05:44:07Z")
Nope, “Lee” was just short for Liberace. His full name was Wladziu Valentino Liberace. (Italian-American father, Polish-American mother.) ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/33 "2002-10-01T05:51:59Z")
Nope, “Lee” was just short for Liberace. His full name was Wladziu Valentino Liberace. (Italian-American father, Polish-American mother.) ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/34 "2002-10-01T05:57:36Z")
Nope, “Lee” was just short for Liberace. His full name was Wladziu Valentino Liberace. (Italian-American father, Polish-American mother.) ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/35 "2002-10-01T06:05:00Z")
I swear I clicked the Submit Reply button only once! ---
**Author:** ![Jaystercom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@Jaystercom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaystercom)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/36 "2002-10-03T16:45:58Z")
I believe it was GOD, but I COULD be wrong (or not)!!! ---
**Author:** ![Jaystercom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@Jaystercom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaystercom)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/37 "2002-10-03T16:48:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bloody Pollyanna \* > \*\*Jesus? \*\* Gosh BP, I think his last name (Christ) was used quite a bit:confused: 😕 ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/38 "2002-10-03T17:32:54Z")
Ann-Margaret? ---
**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:** [October 3, 2002, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/39 "2002-10-03T18:17:08Z")
All these posts, and no mention of “Le Petard”? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/40 "2002-10-03T23:28:04Z")
> [@](#): > > Gosh BP, I think his last name (Christ) was used quite a bit Nah, “Christ” is a title, not a name. Saying that Jesus Christ’s last name is “Christ” is like saying that President Bush’s first name is “President”. Jesus’ “last name” would have been something like “bar-Ioseph”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138.md?page=3)