First Names of Historical Figures #1

Guess the first names of these famous historical figures.
If multiple answers work, guess the most famous
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: August 30, 2018
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First submittedSeptember 18, 2010
Times taken202,698
Average score70.0%
Rating4.37
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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
Mohandas
Gandhi
Indira
Isaac
Newton
Benito
Mussolini
Thomas
Edison
Adolf
Hitler
Albert
Einstein
William
Shakespeare
Christopher
Columbus
Charles
Darwin
Napoleon
Bonaparte
Simón
Bolivar
Alexandre
Dumas
Niccolò
Machiavelli
Leonardo
da Vinci
René
Descartes
Hernando
de Soto
Ulysses
Grant
Anne
Boleyn
Benjamin
Disraeli
+3
Level 63
Sep 6, 2014
Why is US Grant even on this?
+10
Level 82
Nov 8, 2014
.. because he's a historical figure?
+6
Level 78
Jun 12, 2015
Of very reduced importance, compared to most of the other figures in this quiz. At least I guess that's why joshxgarrett meant.
+9
Level 82
May 16, 2016
he's certainly no less important than de Soto, Disraeli, Boleyn, Dumas, Thatcher, or Indira Gandhi.
+6
Level 82
Aug 2, 2017
^but they're not American so nobody sees the need to whine about them.
+5
Level 31
Apr 10, 2018
I would say Disraeli, Indira Gandhi and Thatcher had way more impact on their nations and the world than U S Grant did.

Disraeli practically built the Empire, Gandhi presided over a modernisation of India and Thatcher...was Thatcher...the greatest post-war PM we ever had. Sigh...

+11
Level 47
Jun 15, 2018
Without Grant, the north loses the civil war. If that happens, the US likely never becomes a world superpower and the world would look a lot different today. (For better or for worse)
+5
Level 82
Nov 8, 2018
^ yeah but of course if the United States didn't exist past 1865 that would have had far less of an impact on the world than Maggie Thatcher. ::eyeroll::
+1
Level 75
May 1, 2020
Bold to claim that without Grant the north loses the civil war.
+4
Level 82
Jun 5, 2020
not that bold, really. Compare him to his predecessor.
+1
Level 68
Nov 18, 2020
Thatcher had a huuuge impact. An overwhelmingly negative one, but huuuge nonetheless.
+2
Level 82
Dec 25, 2020
so did Grant
+1
Level 77
Mar 3, 2024
I have to say that my first thought was of James Grant, the explorer who accompanied J H Speke in E Africa. If you accept him as equally famous, can you accept James as an alternative answer?
+3
Level 44
Sep 13, 2014
ULYSSES Grant...urgh...I tried Hugh then my mind went blank. Like I care about foreign heads of state lol
+2
Level 65
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.
+1
Level 77
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!
+1
Level 82
Nov 8, 2014
I wasn't sure about Machiavelli's name... I even tried Nicholas... but didn't get Niccolo
+1
Level 66
Nov 9, 2014
I had never heard of Indira Gandhi. Learn something new every day!
+1
Level 65
Jan 8, 2015
Got 28, missed Dumas and Disraeli.
+3
Level 69
Jan 23, 2015
Needs more non-Americans
+10
Level 53
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.
+2
Level 70
May 2, 2015
i have never heard of indira gandhi … who is he/she
+4
Level 42
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.
+3
Level 83
Aug 21, 2015
Incidentally, Mozart's first name wasn't Wolfgang, it was Johannes.
+5
Level 52
Aug 26, 2015
Anyone else try "Hugh" for Grant?
+4
Level 52
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.
+3
Level 56
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.
+1
Level 65
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 🥴

+2
Level 72
Oct 13, 2015
Everything was perfect until I reached de Soto. I've never heard of him. Off to Google now.
+1
Level 75
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.
+2
Level 65
Feb 8, 2016
If we're going to be picky, surely the answer for Columbus should be "Cristobal", not "Christopher"?
+3
Level 63
May 26, 2016
If you want to be really picky shouldn't it be "Cristoforo" since he was Born in Genua, Italy?
+2
Level 82
Apr 3, 2018
I tried Cristobal and it was accepted
+2
Level 48
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)
+1
Level 31
Jun 18, 2016
I remembered Disraeli thanks to Assassin's Creed Syndicate!
+1
Level 17
Dec 10, 2016
I was typing in remy and reny instead of rene
+1
Level 47
Jan 9, 2017
Dang it! I missed only Indira
+2
Level 21
Jan 21, 2017
Thomas Edison ?? Come On, You Never Heard Of Nikola Tesla
+8
Level 59
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.
+1
Level 65
Oct 23, 2022
There is more darkness and light to Edison than you know. Off to Alvaland with you!

Engineers like puns.

And ducks.

+2
Level 94
Feb 14, 2017
Got de Soto because i played Colonization many many years ago... thanks mr. Meier!
+1
Level 58
Jul 19, 2017
Any chance of accepting "Wulfgang" in place of "Wolfgang" for Mozart?
+1
Level 59
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).
+2
Level 82
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.
+1
Level 38
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?
+4
Level 37
Aug 23, 2017
Why is it that virtually everyone got the meaning except you?
+2
Level 66
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.
+1
Level 60
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.
+2
Level 55
Aug 31, 2017
Any American who can't score a minimum of 27-28 on this quiz should sue their elementary and high school.
+2
Level 37
Oct 16, 2017
Even non-Americans. I went to both grammar and high school overseas and we received extensive lessons in American History.
+3
Level 55
Nov 15, 2017
I spaced on Lenin and Hitler, and yet forgetting their first names kind of pleases me.
+2
Level 82
Dec 27, 2017
LOL
+2
Level 51
Dec 18, 2017
Grant is far too open-ended.
+1
Level 82
Dec 27, 2017
This was a fun quiz. We need a second......and a third......and a fourth......maybe more.
+1
Level 78
Mar 31, 2018
Don't think I've ever heard of Hernando de Soto. Going to google him now.
+2
Level 71
Apr 21, 2018
He might enjoy that!
+1
Level 73
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?
+1
Level 65
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.
+1
Level 53
Oct 22, 2018
I thought I was looking for two names for Gandhi, not the names of two different people. Quite confusing.
+1
Level 68
Nov 8, 2018
You need to accept Maggie for Thatcher if you are accepting Joe for Stalin...
+1
Level 66
Nov 8, 2018
did anyone type Leopold for the Mozart question or was it just me?
+1
Level 73
Nov 8, 2018
I mean, if we're gonna get pedantic, then Johannes is Wolfie's actual first name
+1
Level 77
Nov 8, 2018
Winnie Mandela is an historical figure too. Granted, not as much as Nelson. But she is an historical figure too
+1
Level 67
Nov 8, 2018
Read the description.
+2
Level 67
Nov 8, 2018
I feel like a Dumas for not getting Alexandre. :-D
+1
Level 45
Dec 10, 2018
Huh ?
+1
Level 65
Oct 23, 2022
insert b

😏

ok, i'm punned out.

later days

+1
Level 73
Nov 9, 2018
Could you accept "Hernan" for de Soto?
+1
Level 37
Apr 13, 2019
^ That is the name I was taught "Hernan", not "Hernando" DeSoto.
+1
Level 54
Nov 10, 2018
Too easy
+3
Level 45
Dec 10, 2018
Well this is very male.
+3
Level 82
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?
+2
Level 37
Aug 24, 2019
^ Great comeback! Kudos to you on this.
+2
Level 65
Mar 7, 2020
Maybe the one where Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, and Mother Theresa have more recognizable surnames?
+1
Level 60
Mar 3, 2024
Maybe would be nice to add Curie. She's fairly well-known.
+1
Level 54
Jul 2, 2019
I tried a lot of variations on Nicholas for Machiavelli. And why is de Soto on the list?
+1
Level 62
Sep 11, 2019
what about Eddy Grant
+2
Level 68
Feb 17, 2020
Why not Hugh Grant?
+1
Level 48
May 1, 2020
That's a lot of Ghandis
+2
Level 82
Jun 5, 2020
2?
+2
Level 82
Mar 1, 2022
Actually 0. Two Gandhis, though.
+1
Level 57
Jul 14, 2020
Anne Frank could be more famous Anne than Boleyn
+1
Level 60
Mar 3, 2024
I don't think quiz promised that the most famous people were listed. Otherwise, I'd be on there!
+2
Level 53
Aug 23, 2020
I thought Gandhi's firstname was Mahatma...
+1
Level 65
Oct 23, 2022
Take a dose of Seinfeld & call me in the morning.

hint: you should someone about that goiter...

+1
Level 59
Jan 24, 2021
What am I missing? How is Mahatma not accepted for Ghandi??
+2
Level 58
Apr 13, 2021
Because it's not a name, more like a title. Would be like accepting "General" for Grant.
+2
Level 52
Mar 10, 2021
I put "Issac" for Newton's and it didn't put it in. bruh moment
+1
Level 58
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...
+1
Level 64
Apr 27, 2021
On a global scale, who knows Ulysses Grant?

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

+1
Level 56
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.
+1
Level 82
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.

+4
Level 33
May 9, 2021
I've only ever known Gandhi as Mahatma. What is this other name? Never heard of it!
+5
Level 65
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.
+1
Level 62
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.
+1
Level 70
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.

+1
Level 58
May 12, 2021
For the Gandhi question I kept typing "Rajiv" and wondering why it wouldn't work.
+1
Level 67
Jun 2, 2021
Missed Hernando and Benjamin
+2
Level 29
Oct 21, 2021
Am I the only one who had the urge to type Alan into Grant
+1
Level 29
Oct 21, 2021
Also Mozart has an awesome first name Wolfgang
+1
Level 26
Oct 22, 2021
Never heard of Disraeli and yet he was guessed more times than Machiaveli. I guess he isn't popular in Poland.
+1
Level 63
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...
+2
Level 75
Feb 15, 2022
Mohandas Gandhi is *that* Gandhi - Mahatma is just a title he's known by.
+1
Level 37
Jun 15, 2022
Managed to get hernando De Soto
+1
Level 79
Sep 28, 2022
I kept trying Lenin's middle name and couldn't think of his first name.
+1
Level 67
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
+2
Level 62
Dec 26, 2022
Oh. Yeah. Ulysses. My dumb self was wondering why Hugh wasn't accepted.
+1
Level 47
Oct 18, 2023
Nice to know there are two women who are "important" historical figures: A lousy PM and a beheaded queen...