What's In A Name? A Rose By Any Other Name... Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Isabella Baumfree was born a slave around 1789 and walked to her freedom in 1826. She was an outspoken advocate for women's rights and the abolition of slavery. She was born Isabella, but what name reflects her true nature?

Answer: Sojourner Truth

Sojourner Truth was also known as Isabella Van Wagener. She spoke only Dutch as a child, learning English after she was sold. Her most famous speech "Ain't I a Woman?" was given at a woman's rights convention in Ohio in 1851.

Harriet Tubman was conductor on the Underground Railroad. Cicely Tyson is an African-American actress, best known for her role in "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman". Janet Jackson is an R&B singer and actress.

2. He was not Superman, but that didn't stop this Soviet dictator from calling himself the 'man of steel'. Who was he?

Answer: Joseph Stalin

Joseph Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili was born December 21, 1879 in Georgia. He ruled the USSR from 1929 - 1953. He took the name Stalin as a young revolutionary. Stalin helped the USSR become an industrial powerhouse (at great cost to the nation), helped defeat Hitler during WWII and ushered in the Cold War.

The other three also ruled Russia/Soviet Union during the 20th century. Lenin changed his name, too---he was born Ulyanov.

3. You may know me as Charles Atlas, the name I took to promote my new fitness regime. Before that, I was the 97 lb. weakling and got sand kicked in my face at the beach because I was so scrawny. What's my birth name?

Answer: Angelo Siciliano

Born in Italy in 1893, Angelo immigrated to the U.S. with his family in 1905. In 1921 & 1922, Charles Atlas won a bodybuilding competition as the "World's Most Perfectly Developed Man".

The other three gentlemen are all famous boxers. Cassius Clay is the inimitable Muhammad Ali (yep, another name changer).

4. We all know that Lewis Carroll is a pseudonym under which this author wrote "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and the brilliant "Jabberwocky", but do we all know his given name?

Answer: Charles Lutwidge Dodgson

A wonderful wordsmith, Lewis Carroll gave the word 'chortle' to the English language in 1871. He translated his first two names into Latin and then anglicized them to get his pen name. He was the son of a clergyman and the 1st of 11 children.

Charles Darwin put forth the idea of 'natural selection' and his book "On the Origin of Species" established the evolution of man and ape from a common ancestor. Karol Jozef Wojtyla was better known as Pope John Paul II.

5. Born Eileen Regina Edwards, this Canadian took her stepfather's last name when her mother remarried. She chose a new first name when she got her first recording contract. It is said to mean 'on my way' in the Ojibway language.

Answer: Shania Twain

At age 21, when Shania's parents died, she put her fledgling career on hold to take care of her siblings. Shania Twain is not just a great singer; she's a prolific songwriter as well, garnering industry awards in both categories.

k.d. lang is another Canadian country singer. Celine Dion, also Canadian, is ending a five year run in Las Vegas. Edith Piaf was a prolific French singer; she changed her name, too.

6. When this well known NBA player retired in 1989, no player had ever scored as many points, blocked as many shots or won more MVP awards. We know this legend as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. What did his parents name him?

Answer: (Ferdinand) Lew Alcindor

Lew Alcindor converted from Catholicism to Islam in 1971 and took his current name at that time. He retired at age 42 in 1989. Kareem has appeared in many movies and T.V. shows. Prior to his retirement he was the NBA's all time leading scorer with 38,387 points!

Michael Jordan is another of the game's most famous players. Wilt 'The Stilt' Chamberlain, another legend, claims to have slept with 10,000 women. Vlade Divac is another skilled player, hailing from the former Yugoslavia (now Serbia & Montenegro).

7. King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Lion of Judah, Emperor Haile Selassie, I was called all of these. What was his name before he became the last emperor of Ethiopia?

Answer: Ras Tafari Makonnen

He was born Lij Tafari Makonnen in 1892 in Ethiopia, taking the title Ras (prince) Tafari after marrying the daughter of then Emperor Menelik II. Upon being crowned Emperor, Ras Tafari became 'Emperor Haile Selassie'. The term Rastafarian derives from his name, though he was never a Rastafarian himself.

Haile Selassie, a founding father of the OAU (Organization of African Unity), ruled Ethiopia for 45 years. The other three people are his parents and brother.

8. Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres was born in an area of Poland that now belongs to Belarus. His family moved to Palestine when he was 11 years old. What was his family name before he changed it?

Answer: Persky

Shimon Peres was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994. He served as Israel's eighth & 12th Prime Ministers and in June 2007, the Knesset elected him to serve as Israel's ninth President.

9. This TV and stage veteran changed his name as a "way to get his first audition". His new last name comes from his grandfather's nickname, 'The Clove King'. He is part Indian and won an Oscar for playing an Indian statesman. What name brought him fame and fortune?

Answer: Sir Ben Kingsley

In 1982, Ben Kingsley won a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Gandhi in the movie of the same name. Conversely, he was nominated for a Razzie (Worst Supporting Actor category) in 2006. His birth name is Krishna Bhanji.

Ian McKellen, a veteran of TV and stage, played Gandalf in the "Lord of the Ring" movies. Sir John Gielgud is considered by some to be the best Shakespearean actor ever. Richard Harris, another British thespian, played Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter) before his death in 2002.

10. Eleanora Fagan is the birth name this songbird was given. She never took music lessons and couldn't read music, but this Lady was prominent on the jazz scene anyway. Her first record was cut as part of a studio group led by the legendary Benny Goodman. What name made her famous?

Answer: Billie Holiday

Lady Day was born in Baltimore and later moved to Harlem and sang in nightclubs. She took her stage name from silent screen star Billie Dove; Holiday is believed to be her real father's last name. Diana Ross portrayed her in the movie "Lady Sings the Blues".

I think these other three singers need no introduction.

Source: Author zenitth

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Exit10 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

"...What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet..." says Juliet in Shakespeare's play. But would success, fame and glory be just as sweet if these people had used their birth names?

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