Top 5 Nicknames

This is a pretty hard task, so I thought I would do like this, first, the 5 most famous nicknames (as selected by me) and, second, my 5 favorite nicknames of all time.

5 Most Famous Nicknames - Must be real person, must be known by damn near everyone. People in this category are not the most famous people in the world, but if you mention their name or nickname, everyone can identify with them.

(in no particular order)

Henry "Billy the Kid" McCarty - Also went by the alias William H. Bonney during the height of his notoriety. Famous for allegedly killing 21 people in the late 19th century. Earned his nickname because of his youthful appearance and actual age (he died at 21). While on a trip in Europe I was riding a train and two guys from Spain, struggled through the language barrier, to ask where in the U.S. I was from. I said, "Kansas." They said, "oh, Billy the Kid," and made the shape of a gun with their hands. I don't think Billy the Kid was ever in Kansas, but to my point, these two clowns from Spain even knew who he was... sorta.

Elvis "the King (of rock and roll)" Presley - Famous for gyrating his hips and his R&B voice. Sang "Hound Dog," "Jailhouse Rock," and "Blue Suede Shoes." Given the moniker "The King of Rock and Roll" because he was the king of rock and roll. End of discussion. Rated third in worldwide name recognition behind Michael Jackson and Jesus Christ.

George Herman "the Babe" Ruth - Acquired the nickname "Babe" after being referred to as "one of Dunne's (Baltimore Orioles manager Jack Dunne) babes." Ruth is one of the greatest sports hero's of American culture. Ruth completely changed baseball itself. The popularity of the game exploded in the 1920s, largely due to him. He was so good he had several nicknames; the Great Bambino, The Sultan of Swat, The Caliph of Clout, the Behemoth of Bust, and many others. Name lives on in candy bar form.

Jack the Ripper - Known only by his nickname as he was never caught. Famous for the murders of at least 5 and possibly as many as 11 women in London in 1888. The murders involved extremely gruesome acts, such as mutilation and evisceration, which were widely reported in the media. The name "Jack the Ripper" originated in a letter sent to the London Central News Agency by someone claiming to be the murderer. If ever in London I highly recommend the "Jack the Ripper" tour.

Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen aka "The Red Baron" - The most successful flying ace of World War I with 80 confirmed combat victories. Given the name Red Baron due to the color of his plane. Shot down not by another pilot, as you would suspect, but rather by a single shot fired from the ground. Currently has a line of pizzas named after him and has been idolized in Peanuts comics.

(Honorable Mentions: "Typhoid" Mary Mallon; Jesus "H" Christ (just kidding); "Shoeless" Joe Jackson; Andrew "Stonewall" Jackson; Dwight D. "Ike" Eisenhower; William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody; James "Wild Bill" Hickock; Michael "Air" Jordan)


Now a list of my Top 5 favorite nicknames. These are basically nicknames I think are really cool and wish I had.

(In no particular order)

Gilbert "Agent Zero" Arenas - Given to him because he wears the number 0. He's a pretty good baller, but that nickname is sick!

"Cool Hand" Luke Jackson - Sure it's a fictional character, but it's a wicked awesome nickname. The film featured several other cool nicknames "Dragline," "Soceity Red," "Loudmouth Steve," and "Blind Dick," among others.

Mel "The Velvet Fog" Torme - Earned while singing at the famous Copacabana in New York. Mel never liked the name but I think it's kick ass.

Vito Corleone "The Godfather" - Another fictional character, but also very cool.

Marcus “The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis - An MMA fighter, heard this in passing one day and thought, "that's the shit." Don't know a thing about the guy though.

(Honorable Mentions: Allen "The Answer" Iverson; Karl "The Mailman" Malone; Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch; Rod "He Hate Me" Smart; John Joesph "Black Jack" Persing)


I'll probably never get a cool nickname... BHanDaMan really isn't a nickname, it's just an Internet login I use. In college my friends called me Hatchet; which on the surface sounds like a cool nickname, but was really meant to describe the fact that my, then thought-to-be cool, hair looked like it had been parted with a hatchet. In fact, while researching this topic, I found that most nicknames are given for derogatory reasons. So, see you later dickhead.