First Names of Historical Figures #1

Guess the first names of these famous historical figures.

If multiple answers work, guess the most famous

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Last updated: August 30, 2018

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First submitted	September 18, 2010
Times taken	223,246
Average score	70.0%
Rating	4.40

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First Name	Last Name
Winston	Churchill
George	Washington
Abraham	Lincoln
Joseph	Stalin
Vladimir	Lenin
Margaret	Thatcher
Wolfgang	Mozart
Ludwig	van Beethoven
Victor	Hugo
Nelson	Mandela

First Name	Last Name
Mohandas	Gandhi
Indira	Gandhi
Isaac	Newton
Benito	Mussolini
Thomas	Edison
Adolf	Hitler
Albert	Einstein
William	Shakespeare
Christopher	Columbus
Charles	Darwin

First Name	Last Name
Napoleon	Bonaparte
Simón	Bolivar
Alexandre	Dumas
Niccolò	Machiavelli
Leonardo	da Vinci
René	Descartes
Hernando	de Soto
Ulysses	Grant
Anne	Boleyn
Benjamin	Disraeli

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100 Recent Comments

Level 68

Sep 27, 2014

Could not for the life of me remember Mozart's name. Every time I tried to think about it, "Rock me Amadeus" kept popping into my mind.

Level 75

Oct 27, 2014

Got stuck on de Soto. Got it after having read all the comments in the hope of someone spoiling it. No such luck, but I GOT IT BY MYSELF!

Level 80

Nov 8, 2014

I wasn't sure about Machiavelli's name... I even tried Nicholas... but didn't get Niccolo

Level 65

Nov 9, 2014

I had never heard of Indira Gandhi. Learn something new every day!

Level 68

Jan 8, 2015

Got 28, missed Dumas and Disraeli.

Level 68

Jan 23, 2015

Needs more non-Americans

+13

Level 52

Feb 22, 2015

Why? Only 4 of 22 were American and they were pretty obvious. Well 3 of them were. I guess Grant gave some trouble.

Level 71

May 2, 2015

i have never heard of indira gandhi … who is he/she

Level 41

Jun 1, 2015

She was Prime Minister of India, as was her son after her. Both were assassinated. Indira was also the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister.

Level 83

Aug 21, 2015

Incidentally, Mozart's first name wasn't Wolfgang, it was Johannes.

+10

Level 50

Aug 26, 2015

Anyone else try "Hugh" for Grant?

Level 51

Jul 17, 2016

I tried everybody I could think of called Grant. After Cary Grant, William Grant, Richard Grant and a bunch of other people surnamed Grant didn't work, I even resorted to Hugh. There are hundreds of famous people called Grant according to Wikipedia.

Level 60

Nov 24, 2021

Yes, it perhaps needs some kind of extra column going "US President". It's a little bit like including Joseph Smith without any kind of description.

Level 63

Oct 23, 2022

Reading broadly, using logic, and being flexible are important to improving your test scores.

Learn as you go, and you *will* improve. There is often a rhythm to the tests.

Or, as my Dad said, you don't like it, leave. 😄

There are other fish in the sea 🥴

Level 73

Oct 13, 2015

Everything was perfect until I reached de Soto. I've never heard of him. Off to Google now.

Level 74

Apr 3, 2017

He probably isn't that well known outside of the US. He was a Spanish explorer believed to be the first European to cross the Mississippi River.

Level 70

Jan 1, 2025

I always thought it was Hernan de Soto. Lucky I tried it with that extra -do!

Level 64

Feb 8, 2016

If we're going to be picky, surely the answer for Columbus should be "Cristobal", not "Christopher"?

Level 63

May 26, 2016

If you want to be really picky shouldn't it be "Cristoforo" since he was Born in Genua, Italy?

Level 80

Apr 3, 2018

I tried Cristobal and it was accepted

Level 47

Oct 10, 2018

Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer, navigator, and colonis.His name in Ligurian is Cristòffa Cómbo, in Italian Cristoforo Colombo and in Spanish Cristóbal Colón. (Wikipedia)

Level 32

Jun 18, 2016

I remembered Disraeli thanks to Assassin's Creed Syndicate!

Level 17

Dec 10, 2016

I was typing in remy and reny instead of rene

Level 49

Jan 9, 2017

Dang it! I missed only Indira

Level 21

Jan 21, 2017

Thomas Edison ?? Come On, You Never Heard Of Nikola Tesla

+14

Level 58

Dec 18, 2017

When a quiz has a list of people on it, it does not mean that those not on the quiz are somehow unknown, deficient in any way, or not worthy. There's only so many people's names that go into these quizzes, getting all upset and indignant about it is ridiculously childist and petty.

Level 63

Oct 23, 2022

There is more darkness and light to Edison than you know. Off to Alvaland with you!

Engineers like puns.

And ducks.

Level 98

Feb 14, 2017

Got de Soto because i played Colonization many many years ago... thanks mr. Meier!

Level 66

Jul 19, 2017

Any chance of accepting "Wulfgang" in place of "Wolfgang" for Mozart?

Level 58

Aug 2, 2017

I did try Rajiv for Gandhi - he was PM of India after all and so on a par with his mother Indira (who is on this quiz).

Level 88

Nov 8, 2018

Really? She was a major historical figure -- among the first female heads of a modern state, presiding over 15 key years of Indian history. Rajiv was...her son.

Level 48

Oct 12, 2025

They were both prime minister of India though, so they are both worthy of inclusion/acceptance. It's strange to only have space for one of them, when we have no other indication of which one is the correct answer.

Level 37

Aug 2, 2017

I'm not all that impressed about the duel format of Gandhi: made it seem like it was two different names for the spiritual leader, not two different individuals. Maybe separate them, or have one or the other?

Level 36

Aug 23, 2017

Why is it that virtually everyone got the meaning except you?

Level 76

Jun 10, 2019

Everyone?? 67% of the people clearly did not. I too thought 2 names were asked for gandhi, his birthname and the name he was commonly know under, his nickname.

Level 63

Mar 3, 2024

The 67% doesn't signify the people who didn't understand the prompt; I couldn't remember Indira's name, but I knew who it was asking for.

Level 76

May 31, 2025

Yea you are right, not sure why I did not mention that.

Level 54

Aug 31, 2017

Any American who can't score a minimum of 27-28 on this quiz should sue their elementary and high school.

Level 36

Oct 16, 2017

Even non-Americans. I went to both grammar and high school overseas and we received extensive lessons in American History.

Level 55

Nov 15, 2017

I spaced on Lenin and Hitler, and yet forgetting their first names kind of pleases me.

Level 81

Dec 27, 2017

LOL

Level 50

Dec 18, 2017

Grant is far too open-ended.

Level 81

Dec 27, 2017

This was a fun quiz. We need a second......and a third......and a fourth......maybe more.

Level 80

Mar 31, 2018

Don't think I've ever heard of Hernando de Soto. Going to google him now.

Level 70

Apr 21, 2018

He might enjoy that!

Level 72

Jul 25, 2018

2:41, I am a bit surprised I remembered De Soto. Weird the things from fifth grade that stick in one's mind. Do they still teach children about all the explorers like they used to?

Level 63

Oct 23, 2022

You can trip over Masters of Sociology all day long who have no idea who Turkel nor Skinner were. Learning in America can be shallow and temporary.

Level 52

Oct 22, 2018

I thought I was looking for two names for Gandhi, not the names of two different people. Quite confusing.

Level 69

Nov 8, 2018

You need to accept Maggie for Thatcher if you are accepting Joe for Stalin...

Level 65

Nov 8, 2018

did anyone type Leopold for the Mozart question or was it just me?

Level 74

Nov 8, 2018

I mean, if we're gonna get pedantic, then Johannes is Wolfie's actual first name

Level 79

Nov 8, 2018

Winnie Mandela is an historical figure too. Granted, not as much as Nelson. But she is an historical figure too

Level 67

Nov 8, 2018

Read the description.

Level 67

Nov 8, 2018

I feel like a Dumas for not getting Alexandre. :-D

Level 45

Dec 10, 2018

Huh ?

Level 63

Oct 23, 2022

insert b

😏

ok, i'm punned out.

later days

Level 74

Nov 9, 2018

Could you accept "Hernan" for de Soto?

Level 36

Apr 13, 2019

^ That is the name I was taught "Hernan", not "Hernando" DeSoto.

Level 55

Nov 10, 2018

Too easy

Level 45

Dec 10, 2018

Well this is very male.

Level 80

May 16, 2019

Which alternate reality where most historically significant figures were not male would you have liked the quiz to have been based on?

Level 36

Aug 24, 2019

^ Great comeback! Kudos to you on this.

Level 65

Mar 7, 2020

Maybe the one where Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, and Mother Theresa have more recognizable surnames?

Level 63

Mar 3, 2024

Maybe would be nice to add Curie. She's fairly well-known.

Level 55

Jul 2, 2019

I tried a lot of variations on Nicholas for Machiavelli. And why is de Soto on the list?

Level 62

Sep 11, 2019

what about Eddy Grant

Level 71

Feb 17, 2020

Why not Hugh Grant?

Level 47

May 1, 2020

That's a lot of Ghandis

Level 80

Jun 5, 2020

Level 85

Mar 1, 2022

Actually 0. Two Gandhis, though.

Level 58

Jul 14, 2020

Anne Frank could be more famous Anne than Boleyn

Level 63

Mar 3, 2024

I don't think quiz promised that the most famous people were listed. Otherwise, I'd be on there!

Level 52

Aug 23, 2020

I thought Gandhi's firstname was Mahatma...

Level 63

Oct 23, 2022

Take a dose of Seinfeld & call me in the morning.

hint: you should someone about that goiter...

Level 58

Jan 24, 2021

What am I missing? How is Mahatma not accepted for Ghandi??

Level 59

Apr 13, 2021

Because it's not a name, more like a title. Would be like accepting "General" for Grant.

Level 51

Mar 10, 2021

I put "Issac" for Newton's and it didn't put it in. bruh moment

Level 59

Apr 13, 2021

I'm a little bit disappointed that "Helmut" is not accepted for Newton, but maybe a photographer doesn't have enough historical relevance...

Level 66

Apr 27, 2021

On a global scale, who knows Ulysses Grant?

I would assume that more people would know Hugh Grant than Ulysses.

Level 60

Nov 24, 2021

Well these quizzes are best when you learn something from them rather than just knowing all the answers, I think? And he is (arguably) one of the most important people in perhaps the most important period of the history of the USA. I think he's fine - although having no more clue than "Grant" is a bit vague, to say the least.

Level 85

Mar 1, 2022

Yes! So many people on here moaning because they just didn't know something, rather than being grateful for having learned something new.

It was definitely a tricky question and took me a moment longer than the others, but really not unfair or out of place.

Level 32

May 9, 2021

I've only ever known Gandhi as Mahatma. What is this other name? Never heard of it!

Level 66

May 20, 2021

Mohandas was his real name, Mahatma was a name bestoyed on him as a mark of respect and he was called that by his followers. I think it should be a type-in though.

Level 65

Aug 1, 2022

mahatma is the name every site quotes. It was the name where he was given prizes and recognition. I had never heard the name Mohandas nor has 93% of the world.

Level 77

Jun 8, 2023

Indians literally make up a sixth of the world population and you're saying 93% don't know it?

Just accept your ignorance instead of making a fool out of yourself.

Level 65

May 12, 2021

For the Gandhi question I kept typing "Rajiv" and wondering why it wouldn't work.

Level 77

Jun 2, 2021

Missed Hernando and Benjamin

Level 29

Oct 21, 2021

Am I the only one who had the urge to type Alan into Grant

Level 29

Oct 21, 2021

Also Mozart has an awesome first name Wolfgang

Level 29

Oct 22, 2021

Never heard of Disraeli and yet he was guessed more times than Machiaveli. I guess he isn't popular in Poland.

Level 66

Dec 2, 2021

Anyone else try Hugh for Grant? And why not Mahatma for one of the Gandhis? I'd argue he is the best known one...

Level 74

Feb 15, 2022

Mohandas Gandhi is *that* Gandhi - Mahatma is just a title he's known by.

Level 37

Jun 15, 2022

Managed to get hernando De Soto

Level 84

Sep 28, 2022

I kept trying Lenin's middle name and couldn't think of his first name.

Level 68

Nov 21, 2022

Thank you for accepting Hiram; I was expecting Grant to be a trick question but apparently Ulysses would've worked just fine lol

Level 74

Dec 26, 2022

Oh. Yeah. Ulysses. My dumb self was wondering why Hugh wasn't accepted.

Level 51

Oct 18, 2023

Nice to know there are two women who are "important" historical figures: A lousy PM and a beheaded queen...

Level 23

Jan 4, 2025

indira gandhi and mahatma gandhi are two different people, so its kinda confusing to have them under the same name.

Level 62

Mar 13, 2025

why is mahatma not accepted?

Level 48

Aug 26, 2025

I looked it up. Mahatma is not his real name, but a spiritual name given to him. His real name is Mohandas, while I agree he is better known as Mahatma (i didn't know he was called Mohandas.

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