# Why Galileo and not Galilei? **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-galileo-and-not-galilei/8907 **Category:** Factual Questions **Created:** [March 18, 2000, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-galileo-and-not-galilei/8907 "2000-03-18T07:11:00Z") **Posts on this page:** 11 **Page:** 1
### Author: ![neurosi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neurosi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neurosi) #### Post date: [March 18, 2000, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-galileo-and-not-galilei/8907/1 "2000-03-18T07:11:00Z")
Dear Cecil, Why do we know Galileo Galilei by his first name rather than his last name, unlike other luminaries of his time?? šŸ˜• Malcolm A. Leissring Irvine, CA ---
### Author: ![neurosi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neurosi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neurosi) #### Post date: [March 18, 2000, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-galileo-and-not-galilei/8907/2 "2000-03-18T07:58:00Z")
Just testing. Sorry, I couldnā€™t resist! šŸ™‚ ---
### Author: ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock) #### Post date: [March 18, 2000, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-galileo-and-not-galilei/8907/3 "2000-03-18T11:54:00Z")
And why havenā€™t we heard more about his sister, Madonna Galilei? Arenā€™t Galileo and Galilei the same name, just inflected? I think that was common, back then. * * * rocks ---
### Author: ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine) #### Post date: [March 18, 2000, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-galileo-and-not-galilei/8907/4 "2000-03-18T14:41:00Z")
Hmmmā€¦ Leonardo Da Vinci Michelangelo Buonarotti Dante Alighieri I dunno, but Iā€™d say Mr. Galilei is in pretty good company. ---
### Author: ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT) #### Post date: [March 18, 2000, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-galileo-and-not-galilei/8907/5 "2000-03-18T19:21:00Z")
I may also add Tycho Brahe to the list. ---
### Author: ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty) #### Post date: [March 18, 2000, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-galileo-and-not-galilei/8907/6 "2000-03-18T20:47:00Z")
Then of course there is Wladziu Valentino Liberace. šŸ™‚ ---
### 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: [March 20, 2000, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-galileo-and-not-galilei/8907/7 "2000-03-20T06:12:00Z")
The answer is obvious: How many Galileoā€™s do you know? Heā€™s the only person ever to have been named that. ---
### Author: ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero) #### Post date: [March 20, 2000, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-galileo-and-not-galilei/8907/8 "2000-03-20T02:38:00Z")
Thatā€™s a hell of an assumption to make there, Mjollnir. You think his folks just made the name up? ā€œGee, what sounds kinda funky and astronomerish? Mmmm, how 'bout Galileo?ā€ And I sincerely doubt nobody ever admired him enough to name their kid after him, either. * * * Cave Diem! Carpe Canem! ---
### Author: ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB) #### Post date: [March 20, 2000, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-galileo-and-not-galilei/8907/9 "2000-03-20T03:16:00Z")
And donā€™t forget Amerigo Vespucci. * * * Wrong thinking is punished, right thinking is just as swiftly rewarded. Youā€™ll find it an effective combination. ---
### Author: ![Jois](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea666f/32.png) [@Jois](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jois) #### Post date: [March 20, 2000, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-galileo-and-not-galilei/8907/10 "2000-03-20T03:40:00Z")
Maybe it was an Italian thing? With 4 syllables per first name, maybe they just wanted to speed up conversations??? * * * Are you driving with your eyes open or are you using The Force? - A. Foley ---
### Author: ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea) #### Post date: [March 21, 2000, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-galileo-and-not-galilei/8907/11 "2000-03-21T04:49:00Z")
ā€œGalileo Galileiā€ indicates him to be ā€œGalileo, of the family of Galileo,ā€ so, unless the ā€œGalileiā€ had been a family name for some time, I would guess either his father or grandfather was also named Galileo. Does anyone know if the name Galileo came from Galilee, home of Jesus Christ? * * * ā€œIn my nightmares I am chased by algorithmsā€ā€“crewman Celes, ST:V