# 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:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/41 "2002-10-04T12:56:28Z")
Nononono! It was Hasefar! He’s very little known nowadays, but back in 3012 BC, he was the Schiznat! Everybody loved Hasefar! His stone-tipped spear cut down whole herds of wandering cattle. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/42 "2002-10-04T14:57:30Z")
Do you mean [Le Petomane](http://www.johnbarber.com/pujol.html)? Nah, Rachel still predates him. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/43 "2002-10-04T17:01:07Z")
Whu hoppen? I mentioned Le Petomane in a post, and also that Boris Karloff was credited as “?” in Frankenstein. It was in the thread and now it’s not. Anyway, Eve has removed Le Petomane as a contender but I’m still reasonably confident that Karloff was the first to be known by a symbol. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/44 "2002-10-04T18:25:33Z")
Nicolo Paganini (1782-1840) was an international superstar (imagine a straight Liberace whose instrument of choice was violin) who was known exclusively as Paganini. There were famous Greek and Roman stars who are remembered by only one name (Mnester, Philatryos). ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2002, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/45 "2002-10-05T03:54:09Z")
While not the first, could anyone not know who _The Devine Sara_ was? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2002, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/46 "2002-10-05T07:12:30Z")
She was the bad-spelling evil twin of _The Divine Sarah_. ---
**Author:** ![Monalisa9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@Monalisa9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monalisa9)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2002, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/47 "2002-10-05T16:06:43Z")
Back in the 60s… Capuchine? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2002, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/48 "2002-10-05T17:12:04Z")
[Capucine](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Capucine) ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2002, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/49 "2002-10-05T20:20:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > \*\*Do you mean [Le Petomane](http://www.johnbarber.com/pujol.html)? Nah, Rachel still predates him. \*\* 'Kay. But she doesn’t predate another frog: ``` **Voltaire** ``` Who I think qualifies, as 1.) They were using first and last names during his lifetime, and B.) He specifically chose a one-name pseudonym to become famous under. Much like celebraties who don’t have the foresight to be named Madonna or Prince at birth are forced to do. Can I get some votes for Voltaire? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2002, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/50 "2002-10-06T01:13:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by betenoir \* > \*\*Can I get some votes for Voltaire? \*\* "I do not agree with what you have renamed yourself as, but I will fight to the death for your right to do so. Except for that whacko symbol guy with the purple fetish." ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2002, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/51 "2002-10-06T02:26:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pixellent \* > \*\*My own vote is an obscure 1940s Universal contract player who was billed simply as Acquanetta. \*\* Someone named their kid after cheap hairspray? Was Aqua Net even around in the '40s? ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2002, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/52 "2002-10-06T15:32:15Z")
> [@](#): > > Jesus’ “last name” would have been something like “bar-Ioseph”. I’d say “of Nazareth” would be the closest thing he had to a last name, since he is often referred to in the Gospels as “Jesus of Nazareth.” (Presumably to distinguish him from all the other Joshuas/Jesuses out there-- the function of a surname.) ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2002, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138/53 "2002-10-06T16:16:37Z")
You mean to tell me Jesus’s middle initial WASN’T “H”? 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-one-name-star/130138.md?page=2)