What nicknames are for

The world's longest city name is 21 words long, so we call it Bangkok

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It’s a good thing Picasso signed his works with just his surname. His real name is so long that very few people have taken the trouble of learning it. And let’s not even get started on the full name of Bangkok –nor that of L.A.! You’d be surprised how many famous people, places, and mascots hide hilariously long titles. Get ready for a list of names that –thank goodness– got trimmed down!

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It goes on. The name is Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso. We know him as Pablo Picasso, the Spanish genius painter. He was named after a string of saints and relatives, a tradition in Spanish Catholic families.

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Today, we just call it L.A. But back in 1781, when the Spanish founded this California settlement, they went with the full poetic flair: "The Town of Our Lady the Queen of Angels of Porciúncula." That mouthful of a title honored a tiny church in Italy connected to St. Francis of Assisi.

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He’s better known as Mr. Peanut, the mascot of Planters. The top hat, cane, monocle… You know him. Even though the brand has existed since 1906, it was rather recently, via Twitter, that they revealed his fitting, over-the-top name: "Bartholomew Richard Fitzgerald-Smythe".

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We call him Salvador Dalí, the surrealist artist who painted melted clocks and sky-high elephants. His full name, like his art, was brimming with Spanish heritage. Much like Picasso, he had to pick a nickname to sign his works without taking up half of the canvas.

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You know her as Mona Lisa, but the woman in Leonardo da Vinci’s portrait was likely Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo. The nickname "Mona" is a contraction of "Madonna," meaning "my lady," and "Gioconda" tied her to her husband.

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To her millions of fans, she’s just Barbie. But the famous doll introduced by Mattel in 1959 actually has a full name: Barbara Millicent Roberts. Ruth Handler, her creator, gave her the first name after her daughter, and added a second name and surname along with a fictional backstory for the popular, multipotential woman.

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Trust us, you would never call it the full Swedish name. The founders knew that, so they went for the acronym "IKEA." The furniture giant’s name comprises Ingvar Kamprad’s (the founder), Elmtaryd (the name of the family farm), and Agunnaryd (his hometown).

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The real name is so long that you would probably scroll past it. But here it is: Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit.

Did you read it? That’s the full name of Bangkok, Thailand’s capital. It roughly means "City of angels, great city of immortals, magnificent city of the nine gems, seat of the king, city of royal palaces, home of gods incarnate, erected by Vishvakarman at Indra's behest".

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Legally, the university goes by "The President and Fellows of Harvard College." This colonial-era phrasing reflected the school's governance structure and its roots in British academic tradition. Over time, though, branding won. "Harvard" was shorter and much easier to print on sweatshirts.

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You know her simply as Cher, but she was born Cherilyn Sarkisian. She then added her stepfather’s last name, LaPierre. As her star rose in the ’60s, first with Sonny and then solo, she dropped the frills and decided to go for the dazzling, memorable "Cher."

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He’s the cartoon sea captain who made breakfast sugary and loud. But "Cap’n Crunch" actually has a full naval name: Horatio Magellan Crunch. It’s a mix of explorer references to give the goofy character some funny gravitas.

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It’s officially quite a mouthful, but most people simply say "Great Britain," or even just "the UK." The full name dates to 1927, after the Irish Free State split from the union. The name had to include all constituent nations.

Famous monikers

Discover the legendary nicknames of these 10 famous people!

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While there’s not a lot of mystery as to why someone named Phillip may be known as Phil, the same cannot be said for a number of downright weird nicknames. Outlandish or extravagant nicknames can be great conversation starters, and they can often be a better description of someone’s nature than their given name. In that regard, the 10 individuals in this article received truly unique and incredible nicknames that helped them cement their legacy. So, without further ado, here’s our pick of 10 of the best nicknames in history!

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Who says that a nickname needs to be complicated? In fact, an argument could be made that the simpler the nickname, the better it communicates its point across. Case in point: Muhammad Ali will forever be remembered as "the Greatest", regardless of the highly unlikely case of a better boxer coming along in the future. This nickname truly describes Ali to perfection, and it is a great homage to this amazing athlete’s legacy.

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William Frederick Cody was definitely a jack of all trades: Not only did he serve his country during the American Civil War (earning a Medal of Honor in 1872), but he was also an excellent hunter and showman. In that sense, can you think of a flashier and more extravagant nickname for a showman than Buffalo Bill? According to historians, Cody received this nickname after the Civil War, thanks to his hunting prowess.

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President Abraham Lincoln was surely the recipient of very high-praising nicknames, including the famous "Honest Abe" moniker, but perhaps the one that speaks to his legacy the most is the one he received after the American Civil War, when he became known as "The Great Emancipator". This nickname naturally comes from the fact that our 16th President issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.

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The world of rock and roll is filled with many famous and flashy nicknames: For instance, Chuck Berry is known as "The Father of Rock' N’ Roll", while Billy Joel is known as "The Piano Man". However, every music fan knows that there is and will ever be only one King of Rock' N’ Roll, and that title goes to Elvis Presley. This nickname is truly synonymous with Elvis, to the point that most music lovers instantly think about Presley whenever they hear the phrase "the King."

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This is one of the oldest nicknames in this list, which is ironic since readers began calling William Shakespeare "The Bard" almost 200 years after his death. Often considered England’s national poet, Shakespeare became known as "The Bard" or "the Bard of Avon" sometime in the 1800s, at the time when his popularity started spreading across the world, cementing him as one of the greatest authors in history.

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There’s definitely no one more deserving of the title "Father of His Country" than George Washington: His contributions to the independence and consolidation of the United States are literally too many to count. While you would think that this title was given to Washington posthumously, this nickname first appeared in print in 1778, with this publication immortalizing an already extremely popular nickname.

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For many, Arnold Scharzenegger is the ultimate action movie star: From "Conan the Barbarian" to "Commando", Arnold has given life to many iconic and adrenaline-filled movies. However, there’s one movie that has given us what’s probably Arnold’s most memorable role, and that’s his incredible performance as the Terminator, a ruthless and fearsome robot sent back to the past. In fact, when Schwarzenegger became the 38th governor of California in 2003, he quickly became known by the nickname "The Governator".

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The concept of "Blonde Bombshell" is almost as old as cinema itself: It’s a trope that involves a blonde "femme-fatale", who effortlessly steals the heart of both characters and audience. While this concept predates iconic American actress Marilyn Monroe, the truth is that no other actress in history has ever embodied this concept better than Monroe. In that sense, it seems only logical that Marilyn became known as "The Blonde Bombshell".

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As we mentioned before, the world of rock and roll has produced some rather colorful and unique nicknames. However, few are as unique as the one Jim Morrison, the legendary singer of the rock band "The Doors", gave himself. Morrison displayed a fascination with lizards from an early age and, in a 1970s poem titled "Celebration of the Lizard", he wrote "I am the Lizard King". Thus, Morrison is still known by fans for his "Lizard King" title.

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British Prime Minister Winston Churchill became known as "the British Bulldog". You would think that this is not a particularly flattering nickname, but it is a testament to Churchill’s tenacity and gruff demeanor. Interestingly, Churchill did have a fondness for dogs, but not exactly for bulldogs, since he was the proud owner of a Poodle called "Rufus":