Fun Trivia : First Names

Structure Sub-topic of: Name Game Quizzes Interesting Questions, Facts and Information There are a total of 20 general entries. Special Topics Jack's the Name Famous 'Sebastians' Nigel Who? Christopher and David Incredible Isaacs Some People Named Elmo! Famous Adams Which Richard Do You know? People Named Robert Pat Who? Men called Ken Famous Mikes or Michaels A Variety of Edgars Manny, Moe, Or Jack William, Bill, et al Do You Know Robert? William Who? People called Jack.... Richard Who? Tom's Toms

Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information

First Names

I was a Portinari. Dante saw me, fell in love with me, remained platonically devoted to me all his life. He felt re-born and gave me a place of honour in his "Vita Nuova" poems. He even made me into his heavenly guide on the road to and through the Heavenly Paradise. My first name was _______?

First Names Of Famous Characters


Beatrice. Laura was Petrarca's beloved. He first saw her in church. Petrarca wrote 365 sonnets for her, one passionate poem a day. Alas all was in vain, his love remained unrequited, which as literature shows, is the best fuel for a massive poetic production. Francesca da Rimini( 13th century) is one of the great lovers whom Dante nonetheless puts into the Inferno. She was the daughter of Guido da Polenta of Ravenna. She was married by proxy to the hunchbacked lord of Rimini, Gianciotto Malatesta. The proxy ,Gianciotto's young and handsome brother Paolo, became Francesca's lover. Galatea is the statue-that-comes-to-life in the story of Pygmalion.



My uncle Fulbert entrusted me to this famous theologian and philosopher. Alas I must have been a too diligent student, because not only did I fall in love with my smart teacher, I also had a child from him. My family was furious and did terrible things to my beloved Peter. But even those atrocities could not stop us from loving each other. He became a monk, I became a nun, but ultimately we ended up in one tomb at Pere Lachaise in Paris. My name: ____________?

First Names Of Famous Characters


Heloise. His name of course was Abelard(us).(1079-1142). Heloise became his pupil (1101-1164). Abelard wrote a history of the calamities that happened to him. The authenticity of the letters exchanged between Heloise and Abelard has been a matter of discussion.



G. Gustaffson and Swedish, I was at birth. That was changed when I became a U.S.A.movie-star, a magical blonde with a new artist's name. After starring in such films as "Queen Christina" and "Anna Karenina", I retired early and lived on as a recluse till age 85. What was my first name?

First Names Of Famous Characters


Greta. Greta Garbo was the full name.She was born in Stockholm on Sept. 18, 1905. Died on April 15, 1990. After World War II she felt "the world had changed too much" and decided to live as a recluse, far from the glitter and glamour of the movieworld.



From here to eternity, she was one of the silver screen's finest actresses, possibly best known for playing Anna Leonowens. My "affair to remember" with her started upon watching Powell and Pressburger's "Black Narcissus". Heaven knows, you are now in a position to tell me: who was she?

People with Prophetic First Names


Deborah Kerr. I find it a bit disturbing that Deborah Kerr never won a major cinematic award (only honorary ones). Her career was strewn with well known films and roles such as "From Here to Eternity" (1953), "The King and I" (1956, where she played Anna Leonowens of course), "An Affair to Remember" (1957), "Black Narcissus" (1947) and "Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison" (1957). She passed away in 2007 aged 86.



He started acting in Hollywood aged 8 and is best known to date for his major role in a certain trilogy (1999-2003). Who is this actor?

People with Prophetic First Names


Elijah Wood. Elijah Wood (born 1981) debuted in a feature film with a tiny role in "Back to the Future II" (1989). Other landmarks in his ongoing acting career include "The Good Son" (1993), "Oliver Twist" (1997, TV film), "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy (1999-2003) and "Everything Is Illuminated" (2005). Occasionally, his younger sister also shares her name with a prophetess - Hannah (Samuel's mother).



Selected works by Miriam Makeba include "Pata Pata", "Welela" and "All About Miriam". Who was she?

People with Prophetic First Names


A South African singer and civil rights activist. Also known as "Mama Afrika", Miriam Makeba was a prominent anti-apartheid figure. Due to her activities, she lived in forced exile (1959-1990) until called back to South Africa by Nelson Mandela. She kept recording and performing till her death in Italy on November 2008 (aged 76) which was caused by a heart failure minutes after performing "Pata Pata".



Who is the doctor who paved the way to saving millions of lives by developing the first vaccine against polio?

People with Prophetic First Names


Jonas Salk. Jonas Edward Salk (1914-1995) was the son of Jewish Russian immigrants to the US. His name is a derivative of Jonah, the Biblical prophet. In 1952, he was the first to complete the implementation the Nobel prize winning discovery of Enders, Weller and Robbins by producing and testing (also on himself and his family) a vaccine consisting of dead polio virus which came to be named after him. At its time, the public test for the Salk vaccine (USA, 1954-5) was the grandest medical experiment performed by mankind.



During the US presidential campaign of 2008, a controversy related to Senator Barack Obama's pastor broke out. As the affair evolved, Obama was drawn to publicly resign his membership with that pastor's church. Who is this pastor?

People with Prophetic First Names


Jeremiah Wright. Barack Obama was close to Jeremiah Wright, who even conducted his marriage and baptized his daughters. "The Jeremiah Wright Controversy" was a hot topic between March and May of 2008. The sermons, "The Day of Jerusalem's Fall" delivered shortly after the 9/11 attacks and "Confusing God and Government" delivered in April 2003, carried extreme tones and Obama's close association with Wright was scrutinized. During the public debate Wright even escalated his hard line and Obama finally cut off relations with him at the end of May 2008. The Biblical Jeremiah is considered one of the gravest "prophets of wrath" and his prophecies on the upcoming fall of Jerusalem (to Babylon) are among the harshest recorded in the Bible.



Which pop diva asked to be called "Esther" as part of her spiritual journey into Jewish Kabbalah?

People with Prophetic First Names


Madonna. A name change is one of the steps facilitated in Judaism when a person undergoes a major physical change (e.g. a very sick person may change his name) or a major spiritual change (e.g. Avram renamed to Avraham). I wonder how you categorize Madonna?



In 1996, Frances McDormand won the Oscar for Best Actress for her magnificent role in "Fargo" by the Coen brothers. Which one of the brothers is she married to?

People with Prophetic First Names


Joel . Frances McDormand and Joel Coen have been married since 1984 and have an adopted child. As of 2008, they have worked together in a total of six films. Here's a favourite quote by Frances McDormand on Joel Coen: "Can I say that, even though he's 49, my husband idolises Dylan?" ("Uncut Magazine", 2004). This one was easy if you're a Coen brothers enthusiast, as well as a bonus for Bible savvies, since Joel is one of the prophets while Ethan is not. Otherwise, I hope you fell on the right side of the 50% toss. Thank you for playing!