#NerdFact
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Today I learned that in Italy in the 1600s it was normal to refer to famous people by their first name, which is opposite to modern day western culture, where we typically use the last name.
This is the reason Italian Astronomer Galileo Galilei is commonly known by his first name Galileo, while German Theoretical Physicist Albert Einstein is known by his last name Einstein.
But perhaps this is changing, as many artists now use their first name: Madonna, Adele, Cher, Prince, etc.
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Today I learned that in Italy in the 1600s it was normal to refer to famous people by their first name, which is opposite to modern day western culture, where we typically use the last name.
This is the reason Italian Astronomer Galileo Galilei is commonly known by his first name Galileo, while German Theoretical Physicist Albert Einstein is known by his last name Einstein.
But perhaps this is changing, as many artists now use their first name: Madonna, Adele, Cher, Prince, etc.
@randahl
I didn't even know the last name of Michelangelo until I looked it up a minute ago -
Today I learned that in Italy in the 1600s it was normal to refer to famous people by their first name, which is opposite to modern day western culture, where we typically use the last name.
This is the reason Italian Astronomer Galileo Galilei is commonly known by his first name Galileo, while German Theoretical Physicist Albert Einstein is known by his last name Einstein.
But perhaps this is changing, as many artists now use their first name: Madonna, Adele, Cher, Prince, etc.
Interesting fact, Randahl.
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Today I learned that in Italy in the 1600s it was normal to refer to famous people by their first name, which is opposite to modern day western culture, where we typically use the last name.
This is the reason Italian Astronomer Galileo Galilei is commonly known by his first name Galileo, while German Theoretical Physicist Albert Einstein is known by his last name Einstein.
But perhaps this is changing, as many artists now use their first name: Madonna, Adele, Cher, Prince, etc.
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Interesting fact, Randahl.
@RuthODay2 I am clearly going to call you Ruth as a nod to Italian renaissance.
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Today I learned that in Italy in the 1600s it was normal to refer to famous people by their first name, which is opposite to modern day western culture, where we typically use the last name.
This is the reason Italian Astronomer Galileo Galilei is commonly known by his first name Galileo, while German Theoretical Physicist Albert Einstein is known by his last name Einstein.
But perhaps this is changing, as many artists now use their first name: Madonna, Adele, Cher, Prince, etc.
@randahl Madonna is not her first name, but an artist name. Her real name is Louise Ciccone.
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Today I learned that in Italy in the 1600s it was normal to refer to famous people by their first name, which is opposite to modern day western culture, where we typically use the last name.
This is the reason Italian Astronomer Galileo Galilei is commonly known by his first name Galileo, while German Theoretical Physicist Albert Einstein is known by his last name Einstein.
But perhaps this is changing, as many artists now use their first name: Madonna, Adele, Cher, Prince, etc.
@randahl Do you know where the first name is considered informal and where it is not? In Spanish, the first name can also be formal. For example, it is formal if somebody called me "don Daniel." We use "don" and "doña" to make the first name formal. To make the surname formal, it should be "señor Hernández". "Señor" and "señora" are used to make the surname formal. The two second forms are feminine.
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Today I learned that in Italy in the 1600s it was normal to refer to famous people by their first name, which is opposite to modern day western culture, where we typically use the last name.
This is the reason Italian Astronomer Galileo Galilei is commonly known by his first name Galileo, while German Theoretical Physicist Albert Einstein is known by his last name Einstein.
But perhaps this is changing, as many artists now use their first name: Madonna, Adele, Cher, Prince, etc.
@randahl I'm probably cynical, but I think there's a reason all your examples are pop artists. Fans *want* to be on a first-name basis with their favourite music-making personality. Scientists and politicians and business leaders don't do this.
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@randahl Do you know where the first name is considered informal and where it is not? In Spanish, the first name can also be formal. For example, it is formal if somebody called me "don Daniel." We use "don" and "doña" to make the first name formal. To make the surname formal, it should be "señor Hernández". "Señor" and "señora" are used to make the surname formal. The two second forms are feminine.
@randahl By the way, I would not say that this is a tradition from Western culture but maybe related to an Anglo-Saxon tradition. I also don't like the term Western culture because it is very vague. I also noticed that many European kings are not called by their family names but by their first names. For example, it is more usual to say "Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII" instead of "Ms. Tudor was the daughter of Henry VIII."
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