First Name / Last Name Repeats

English surnames are full of patronymics. Now, that’s just a fancy way of saying that you’re basically named after your father. You know, Johnson meaning “son of John” and Richards meaning “Richard’s son.”

Well, probably the last thing you want to do is combine your patronymic surname with the given name that spawned it. Not sure what I’m talking about? Well, here, let’s take a vide …


John Johnson – athlete
Safety for the Cleveland Browns, played college football at Boston College

John Johns – religious 
The fourth Episcopal bishop of Virginia, previously president of William & Mary

James Jamison – actor 
A Fiance for Christmas; Not Cinderella’s Type; Switched for Christmas; Love, Inheritance and Lunch …

Jack Jackson – musician
British trumpeter and band leader, BBC disc jockey 

William Williams – founding father
Signer of the Declaration (from Connecticut), patriot, merchant

Robert Robertson – actor 
Doctor Who, Taggart, Breaking the Waves, and other British TV shows you’ve never heard of

Robert Roberts – religious
Scottish leader of the Christadelphian movement, a “restorationist and millenarian Christian group who hold a view of biblical Unitarianism”

Robin Robinson – journalist
TV news anchor, primarily in Chicago, once got into trouble for saying “There is no Santa” on air

Robin Robbins – marketing consultant
“Robin Robins is the IT industry’s most in-demand marketing consultant, sales trainer, and direct response marketing consultant who specializes in developing strategic marketing, sales and lead generation systems for MSPs, VARs and IT services companies.” (www.robinrobbins.com)

Edward Edwards – criminal / serial killer
On the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list, reformed and became a motivational speaker … before heading back to prison again

Richard Richardson – military officer
Brigadier general from SC during the American Revolution, body was dug up & plantation burned down by Banastre “The Butcher” Tarleton 

Richard Richards – astronaut 
Flew on 4 Space Shuttle missions, commanding 3 of them; Capt., US Navy (ret)

David Davidson – musician
Lead singer & guitarist for Revocation, Berklee grad (cum laude), “firmly established himself as one of the leading artists at the forefront of extreme music” (www.davedavidsonsongguitar.com)

Thomas Thompson – author 
Mostly of true crime, won an Edgar award, former editor at Life magazine

Phillip Phillips – musician 
American Idol winner for season 12 (2012), song “Home” was best-selling single in Idol history

Andrew Andrews – basketball center
Former Washington Huskies guard who later played in Israel, Greece, Turkey & Latvia; teams include Panathinaikos, Büyükçekmece & Frutti Extra Bursaspor

Daniel Daniels – dancer
Broadway hoofer & Tony-Award-winning choreographer, had 74-year career

Daniel Danielson – screenwriter
American actor/writer/director/producer/voice talent; Banker Madness, Bulan Terbelah di Langit Amerika, Sam Gun: Dangerous Murderer …

Stephen Stephens – murderer 
“The Facebook Murderer,” filmed the killing of a 70-year-old collecting tin cans because he was “mad with his girlfriend,” then uploaded it to FB; shot himself when cornered by police; worked at a mental health facility (!?!?)

Steven Stevenson – academic 
Associate professor of chemistry at Indiana-Purdue University at Fort Wayne (IPFW); “Investigations of Newly Discovered OxoMetallic Clusters Inside Fullerene Cages,” “Novel Water-Soluble TNT Metallofullerene Derivatives for Imaging Applications,” “Nanocaged Metal Tags Massively Multiplexed Leukemia Bioassays and Beyond” …

Joseph Josephs – artist 
“Commercial and sign painter, folk artist and political figure in Buffalo”; known as “Buffalo Joe”; described as “a man of no small ego,” he painted numerous self-portraits

Joseph Josephson – politician
Alaskan lawyer; assistant to US Senator; Anchorage city councilman; State Co-Chairman, Joint State-Federal Land Use Planning Commission

Peter Peters – athlete
Australian rugby player, color commentator, born as Panoutas Peterides, nicknamed “Zorba”

Peter Peterson – investment banker
US Secretary of Commerce, Chairman of the Council of Foreign Relations, born Peter Petropoulos, married to Kris Krengel 

Paul Paulson – politician
Lawyer, candidate for mayor of Orlando & Florida Commissioner of Agriculture; involved in scam charity scandal

Nicholas Nicholson – art historian
Specialist in Russian decorative arts, especially relating to the Romanovs; formerly at Christie’s

Nicholas Nichols – knifemaker
Earned the 2020 Made in NC Award for the Home and Garden Category, former chef

Adam Adams – podcaster
Created podcasts on real estate, now owns a business supporting other podcasters

Adam Adamson – politician
Mayor of Invercargill (NZ), businessman, OBE, centenarian, born without a right hand

Alice Allison – TikTok celebrity
1.5 million views

So, overall not too bad. Nobody we could really call famous, but at the same time just a handful or murderers and criminals.

Worst Draft Picks – All Sports

Well, the Super Bowl is tomorrow. After that, the news will be all about the 2023 draft (April 27th, by the way).

My team, the Carolina Panthers, have had some good ones – Christian McCaffery, Cam Newton, Luke Kuechly, Julius Peppers … They’ve also had some turkeys – Vernon Butler, Jimmy Clausen, Tim Biakabutuka, Rae Caruth, Kerry Collins …

That got me thinking … What were some of the work picks in the NFL draft? Actually, lets make that the worst #1 picks. And how about the other major sports? 

Let’s get started…

NHL

Alexandre Daigle / OTT / 1993 / C

I am not a big hockey fan, so I’m afraid I’m a little outta my comfort zone with this one. Daigle does, though, seem to be something of a consensus pick here.

He was actually in the NHL for 8 years, but was then out of hockey at age 25, citing a lack of interest and a desire to never play hockey again. During those years, he was known for a lack of effort and a desire to be in the limelight instead of on the ice. Highlights of the former include posing in a nurse’s outfit and making a bomb joke on an airplane.

What did the Senators see in him? Well, it seems he was widely recognized as a can’t-miss, future superstar. Ottawa was, in fact, accused of tanking to get him with the #1 pick. This would actually lead to an investigation, as well as a change to the lottery the following year. 

Ottawa also gave him the largest starting salary in league history, a whopping $12.25M. Daigle was so bold as to quip, "I'm glad I got drafted first, because no one remembers number two." By the way, that #2 was Chris Pronger, who would make it to the Hall of Fame.

After hanging up his skates, Daigle started an event promotion company, but soon grew bored. He then decided to return to the ice, playing 3 more years in the NHL, as well as some more in the AFL and over in Europe.

Today, he’s in the movie biz, working as a studio manager.

NBA
Larue Martin / PORT / 1972 / C

Martin was in the NBA for four years, with per-game averages of 14 minutes, 5.3 points, and 4.6 rebounds. Not too bad.

So, what did the Trailblazers see in him, especially when they passed over Bob McAdoo and Julius Irving in making him #1? Well, I’m sure being 6’11” had a lot to do with it. Unfortunately, he only had 200 to drape over that frame (i.e., BMI = stringbean; see below). 

He also had some pretty good college numbers, averaging 18.2 pts and 15.9 rebounds per game. Unfortunately, those were with the Loyola of Chicago Ramblers, a Div 1 school, but just barely. They also were only 25-54 while he was there. 

After retirement, Martin did pretty well for himself. He’s a manager with UPS and is on the board of the National Basketball Retired Players Association. He’s also involved with the City Club of Chicago, YMCA, Urban League, and Boys and Girls Club. He’s even won awards from the Urban League, as well as the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award and the Black Heritage Award.

NFL
JaMarcus Russel / QB / OAK / 2007

Russell was up for 3 seasons total, notching a 52.1% pass completion rate, an 18/23 TD/INT ratio, and a passer rating of 65. He also managed to fumble 25 times, losing 15 of them. He didn’t make things any better by being a holdout his rookie year, having a notoriously poor work ethic, and being overweight (290 in his last year).

What did the Raiders see in him? Well, he was a star at LSU, being named MVP in the Sugar Bowl. Oh, he was also 6’5”, 265, and with throw-it-length-of-the-field arm strength.

How did it go after Oakland? Well, the Raiders sued him to recover $9.55M, if that gives you any idea. He also tried out with 4 other teams, without getting any offers. He then sent a letter to all 32 NFL teams, offering to play for 1 year free. Still no bites.

Life after his playing career ended reached its nadir when he was busted for possession of codeine syrup (“purple drank”). It sounds, though, like he was taking it all along, all the way back to the very beginning of his NFL career.

On the positive side, he did open up his place for Katrina refugees, including housing music star Fats Domino. He’s currently QB coach at Williamson HS, his alma mater, in Mobile, AL.

MLB
Brien Taylor / NYY / 1991 / P

Taylor is our only pick here who never made it to the majors. Over 7 years in the minors, he compiled a 22-30 record and a 5.12 ERA, never getting above class AA. Things actually were not going that bad, until he injured his shoulder in a fight.

What did the Yankees see? A lot, actually. In high school, Taylor reached 99 mph on the radar gun, as well as 213 Ks in 88 IP, a 29-6 record, and a 1.25 ERA. His agent, the infamous Scott Boras, actually got him a then-unheard-of bonus of $1.55M.

Life after baseball was not good. Taylor worked as a UPS package handler, a beer distributor, and a bricklayer, and ended up living at his father’s. He was also arrested for cocaine distribution, spending 3 years in prison.

Most Common Presidential First Names

There’s been 46 of them. And they’ve been doing it since 1789. So, we should be able to see some interesting patterns here. Let’s see how they all break out.

One-Offs (20)

Not quite half the presidents are one-offs. Interestingly, these include several fairly common names – Richard (Nixon), Joseph (Biden), Steven (Grover’s Cleveland’s real first name), Martin (Van Buren), Benjamin (Harrison)…. Now, they also include such oddities as Dwight (Eisenhower), Lyndon (Johnson), Ulysses (Grant), Millard (Fillmore), and Barack (Obama).

Somebody lend this guy a comb

Franklin (2)

It’s not that common a name. So, it’s a little surprising that there are two presidents – Pierce and Roosevelt – claiming it.

As with Frank and Francis, the basic root for Franklin means “free.” “Franklin” itself denotes a “freeholder,” someone who held land, but was not a noble. A similar term might be “yeoman.”

Franklin is, of course, also a surname. And I’m that guessing both of our presidents may owe their first names to Benjamin Franklin. I’m afraid I just can’t be certain on that though.

It’s not a very popular name, coming in at #395 in 2021.

Not too many other famous Franklins out there

Thomas (2)

You might be scratching your head about this one. I’m sure you got Thomas Jefferson. Bet you didn’t know, though, that Woodrow Wilson’s first name is actually Thomas.

Thomas means “twin,” and comes from the apostle. I’m guessing that Thomas was indeed a twin himself, though I really couldn’t find anything on it.

The name comes from the Aramaic to’ma, which means “to cleave,” which I guess could indeed be said of twins. The Greek form (i.e., how he was actually referenced in the NT) is Didymus.

The name’s been popular since the Norman Invasion. As recently as 2006, it ranked 16th in the US (but is at 46 in 2021). Other popular Thomases include Aquinas, Becket, Hobbes, Hardy, and Edison.

Interestingly, the two presidents were both Virginians and both Democrats.

Virginia is also known as the Mother of Presidents

Andrew (2)

St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland. Seeing as there are 19 presidents with some Scottish or Scots-Irish background, it’s not too surprising that there would be a couple of Andrews. In particular, we’ve got Andrew Jackson and Andrew Johnson.

Andrew is another apostolic name. Legend has it that the saint’s relics were shipped to Scotland by one St. Regulus. St Andrews is an important town there, home to a major university as well as the preeminent Scottish golf course.

Interestingly, Andrew was crucified on an x-shaped cross. A victory over the English in which an x-shaped cloud appeared in the sky cemented Andrew’s status as Scotland’s patron saint, as well as an x as the Scottish flag.

The name itself derives from the Greek Andros, meaning “man,” and would denote something like “manly” or “brave.”

Andrew was the 11th most common boy’s name in 2006. It’s now at #57, however, probably due to the scandals surrounding Prince Andrew.

William (3)

The name William also came over with the Norman Invasion. William the Conqueror was a huge figure in English history, so it’s not too surprising that there have been four King Williams throughout the centuries, including the 1000s, 1100s, 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s. There will also be a William sometime in the 21st Century, when Prince William inherits the throne. He will, in fact, be William V.

The name itself is Germanic, and means “will helmet.” That kinda makes sense, though why anyone would name their darling baby boy such a combination certainly does not. It does, though, reflect a very common Germanic naming convention, where random words are combined. Herbert (as in Herbert Hoover), for example, means “army bright.” And Ronald (as in Reagan) means “strong ruler.”

Our three Williams include William Jefferson Clinton, William Howard Taft, and William Henry Harrison. That first one’s rather interesting, for a couple of reasons:

• He typically went by the nickname, Bill
• His middle name is after another president
• His original name was William Jefferson Blythe III, after his father, who died three months after he was born (Clinton was the surname of his stepfather)

In 2021, William came in at #6 in the US. Interestingly, the Irish version, Liam, came in first.

George (3)

Nothing too obscure here. You’ve got the Father of His Country (Washington) and two of the last six presidents (Bush). 

That those last two are related certainly helped. What’s interesting about them, however, is that, though they were father and son, the son was not a “Junior.” Instead, we’ve got a George Walker Bush and a George Herbert Walker Bush.

Once again, we’ve got a name with a close association with England. In fact, St George is that country’s patron saint.

How that came about, though, is a little obscure. The real St George was most likely a Roman soldier who was martyred somewhere in the Middle East. No actual ties to England, I’m afraid.

There have actually been six Georges sitting on the English throne, starting in 1714. In fact, they constitute no less than half of all British monarchs since that time.

The name itself means “farmer” in Greek. It actually comes from a title for Zeus, who was originally an agricultural god.

George is one of those names that, though hugely popular in the past, is definitely on the way out. Currently, it doesn’t even break the top 100, coming in at 134 in 2021. I’m guessing young Prince George will probably help a little though.

John (4)

We’ve got another father-son match here. And as with the Bushes, the son is not a junior. Instead, we’ve got John Adams and John Quincy Adams. 

You can probably guess John Fitzgerald Kennedy as one of the others. Extra points, though, if you guessed the fourth, John Tyler. He is indeed pretty obscure.

John is such a common name that it’s made its way into the generic John Doe. It was indeed the #1 name in the US in the 19th Century and the first half of the 20th. Probably through overuse, though, it dropped in 2021 to 27th. 

Its initial popularity probably comes from its being both the name of another apostle, but also of John the Baptist, probably the main figure in the Jesus narrative apart from Jesus himself.

The name started out as the Hebrew Yehocanon, meaning “God is Gracious” (and probably more familiar to us as Jonathan). John is a shortened form, and comes from the Greek Ioannis.

Interestingly, there is only one British monarch with the name. The original King John was such a disaster that the name subsequently fell out of favor. 

You may have heard of his involvement with the Magna Carta, where he gave away a lot of his royal rights (but also paved the way for democracy). He also lost Normandy, bankrupted the country, was excommunicated by the church, and was known for a mean and spiteful personality.

As portrayed by actor Paul Giamatti

James (6)

James is another name with Scottish roots. Indeed, of our six presidential Jameses, four have Scottish blood. Our two outliers are James Madison and James Garfield. Of the other four, two – James K Polk and James Buchanan – are purely Scottish. And that leaves us with our remaining two mixed breeds, James Monroe and James Earl (“Jimmy”) Carter.

As for that Scottish connection … Though James has been one of the most popular names of all time in any English-speaking country, it was even more popular in Scotland. And that may be due to the string of Scottish kings who reigned from 1400-1625, all six of whom were named James.

Interestingly, James is originally from Jacob, a Hebrew name meaning “supplanter” (literally, “one who takes by the heel”). That rather odd definition comes from the Biblical Jacob, another twin, who was born after his brother Esau, and supposedly holding his heel. He would later cheat the elder Esau out of his birthright, pretending to be Esau and getting his blind father, Isaac, to give him his blessing. 

There are also two apostle Jameses, and a half-brother of Jesus as well, so I’m sure they also helped its popularity. It still ranked #5 in 2021.

A final note … 

One thing you may have noticed is that are some very common names that are totally lacking from the list of presidents – Robert, Charles, David, Daniel, Alexander, Christopher, Michael, Henry …

Which is odd, as five presidential names – Millard, Ulysses, Dwight, Barack and Rutherford – didn’t even make the top 1000 in 2021. In fact, two didn’t even break the top 20,000, with Barack coming in at #20,959 and Millard at #25,242.

Bet you didn’t know Obama is a junior (this is his dad)