List of legally mononymous people
Updated: 12/20/2025, 12:43:23 PM Wikipedia source
This is a list of notable people whose full legal name is (or was) a mononym, either by name change or by being born mononymic (e.g. Burmese, Indonesian, or Japanese royalty). Titles (e.g. Burmese honorifics) do not count against inclusion, because they are not part of the name itself. This list does not include people who are mononymous only as a stage name, pen name/pseudonym, in certain contexts, or by dint of fame.
Tables
Legally monomymous persons
Cheryl Sarkisian
Cheryl Sarkisian
Reason
Name change
Mononym
Cher
Other name
Cheryl Sarkisian
Born
1946
Died
-
Description
American singer and actress
Joan Marie Laurer
Joan Marie Laurer
Reason
Name change
Mononym
Chyna
Other name
Joan Marie Laurer
Born
1969
Died
2016
Description
American professional wrestler and actress
Laurence Carroll
Laurence Carroll
Reason
Name change
Source
religious
Mononym
Dhammaloka
Title(s)
U
Other name
Laurence Carroll
Born
1856
Died
1914
Description
Irish-born Buddhist monk, celebrity preacher and editor in British Burma
Mitch Maddox
Mitch Maddox
Reason
Name change
Source
promotion
Mononym
DotComGuy
Other name
Mitch Maddox
Description
American computer specialist; changed to mononym as promotion, later reverted to birth name
Nyi Nyi Lwin
Nyi Nyi Lwin
Reason
Name change
Source
religious
Mononym
Gambira
Title(s)
U
Other name
Nyi Nyi Lwin
Born
1979
Died
-
Description
Burmese Buddhist Monk leader of All Burma Monks' Alliance during the 2007 Saffron Revolution
Shōwa
Shōwa
Reason
Birth
Source
Japanese royalty
Mononym
Hirohito
Title(s)
Emperor
Other name
Shōwa
Born
1901
Died
1989
Description
former Emperor of Japan
Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri
Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri
Reason
Name change
Mononym
Indrani
Other name
Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri
Born
1983
Died
-
Description
Indian-British-Canadian director, photographer, girls' empowerment activist and author
Sean Hape
Sean Hape
Reason
Name change
Mononym
iOTA
Other name
Sean Hape
Born
1968
Died
-
Description
Australian musician and actor
Mako Komuro
Mako Komuro
Reason
Birth
Source
Japanese royalty
Mononym
Mako
Title(s)
former Princess
Other name
Mako Komuro
Born
1991
Died
-
Description
Daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko, lost royal status and gained surname by marriage to commoner Kei Komuro
Michiko Shōda
Michiko Shōda
Reason
Name change
Source
Japanese royalty by marriage
Mononym
Michiko
Title(s)
Empress
Other name
Michiko Shōda
Born
1934
Died
-
Description
Japanese empress consort
Maybyner Rodney Hilario
Maybyner Rodney Hilario
Reason
Name change
Mononym
Nenê
Other name
Maybyner Rodney Hilario
Born
1982
Died
-
Description
Brazilian basketball player
Rebecca Quinn
Rebecca Quinn
Reason
Name change
Source
transitioning
Mononym
Quinn
Other name
Rebecca Quinn
Born
1995
Died
-
Description
Canadian soccer player
Chandra Mohan Jain
Chandra Mohan Jain
Reason
Name change
Source
religious
Mononym
Rajneesh
Other name
Chandra Mohan Jain
Born
1931
Died
1990
Description
Indian mystic and founder of the Rajneesh movement
Ram Kisan Yadav
Ram Kisan Yadav
Reason
Name change
Source
religious
Mononym
Ramdev
Title(s)
Swami
Other name
Ram Kisan Yadav
Born
1965
Died
-
Description
Indian ayurvedic and yoga practitioner
Yar Kyaw
Yar Kyaw
Reason
Name change
Source
Burmese
Mononym
San
Title(s)
Saya
Other name
Yar Kyaw
Born
1876
Died
1931
Description
Leader of the 1930–1932 Saya San Rebellion in British Burma
Efrat Yerushalmi
Efrat Yerushalmi
Reason
Name change
Mononym
Shez
Other name
Efrat Yerushalmi
Born
1959
Died
-
Description
Israeli poet
Raymond Joseph Teller
Raymond Joseph Teller
Reason
Name change
Mononym
Teller
Other name
Raymond Joseph Teller
Born
1948
Died
-
Description
American magician
James Hellwig
James Hellwig
Reason
Name change
Mononym
Warrior
Other name
James Hellwig
Born
1959
Died
2014
Description
American professional wrestler
Rafael Antonio Lozano Jr.
Rafael Antonio Lozano Jr.
Reason
Name change
Mononym
Winter
Other name
Rafael Antonio Lozano Jr.
Born
1972
Died
-
Description
American software programmer best known for his goal to visit every company-owned Starbucks location in the world; changed name first to John Winter Smith, then to mononym Winter
Kanye Omari West
Kanye Omari West
Reason
Name change
Mononym
Ye
Other name
Kanye Omari West
Born
1977
Died
-
Description
American rapper, record producer, and fashion designer
| Reason | Source | Mononym | Title(s) | Other name | Born | Died | Description | Ref. |
| Birth | Japanese royalty | Aiko | Princess Toshi | 2001 | - | daughter of Emperor Naruhito | ||
| Birth | Japanese royalty | Akihito | Emperor Emeritus | 1933 | - | former Emperor of Japan (abdicated 2019) | ||
| Birth | Burmese | Ba | Sir U | 1887 | 1963 | Burmese president and Supreme Court justice | ||
| Birth | Nepali | Balkrishna | Acharya | c. 1972–1973 | - | Nepali billionaire businessman and chairman of the consumer goods company Patanjali Ayurved | ||
| Birth | Arakanese royalty | Bin | Min | 1493 | 1554 | King of Arakan in Myanmar from 1531 to 1554 | ||
| Birth | Indonesian | Boediono | 1943 | - | former Vice President of Indonesia | |||
| Name change | Cher | Cheryl Sarkisian | 1946 | - | American singer and actress | |||
| Name change | Chyna | Joan Marie Laurer | 1969 | 2016 | American professional wrestler and actress | |||
| Name change | religious | Dhammaloka | U | Laurence Carroll | 1856 | 1914 | Irish-born Buddhist monk, celebrity preacher and editor in British Burma | |
| Name change | promotion | DotComGuy | Mitch Maddox | American computer specialist; changed to mononym as promotion, later reverted to birth name | ||||
| Birth | Japanese royalty | Fumihito | Prince Akishino | 1965 | - | heir presumptive of Emperor Naruhito | ||
| Name change | religious | Gambira | U | Nyi Nyi Lwin | 1979 | - | Burmese Buddhist Monk leader of All Burma Monks' Alliance during the 2007 Saffron Revolution | |
| Birth | Indian | Govindjee | 1932 | - | Indian-American biochemist | |||
| Birth | Japanese royalty | Hirohito | Emperor | Shōwa | 1901 | 1989 | former Emperor of Japan | |
| Birth | Vietnamese | Hổ | 1998 | - | footballer of Sedang ethnicity | |||
| Name change | Indrani | Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri | 1983 | - | Indian-British-Canadian director, photographer, girls' empowerment activist and author | |||
| Name change | iOTA | Sean Hape | 1968 | - | Australian musician and actor | |||
| Birth | Burmese | Kyan | Binnya | 1538 | senior minister at the court of King Takayutpi of Hanthawaddy | |||
| Birth | Australian aboriginal | Loongkoonan | 1910 | 2018 | Australian aboriginal artist | |||
| Birth | Japanese royalty | Mako | former Princess | Mako Komuro | 1991 | - | Daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko, lost royal status and gained surname by marriage to commoner Kei Komuro | |
| Birth | Indian | Mayawati | 1956 | - | Indian politician who formerly served as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh | |||
| Name change | Japanese royalty by marriage | Michiko | Empress | Michiko Shōda | 1934 | - | Japanese empress consort | |
| Birth | Japanese royalty | Naruhito | Emperor | 1960 | - | Emperor of Japan | ||
| Name change | Nenê | Maybyner Rodney Hilario | 1982 | - | Brazilian basketball player | |||
| Birth | Burmese | Nu | U or Thakin | 1907 | 1995 | leading Burmese statesman and nationalist politician | ||
| Birth | Burmese | Ponnya | U | 1812 | 1867 | Burmee dramatist | ||
| Name change | transitioning | Quinn | Rebecca Quinn | 1995 | - | Canadian soccer player | ||
| Name change | religious | Rajneesh | Chandra Mohan Jain | 1931 | 1990 | Indian mystic and founder of the Rajneesh movement | ||
| Name change | religious | Ramdev | Swami | Ram Kisan Yadav | 1965 | - | Indian ayurvedic and yoga practitioner | |
| Birth | Pakistani | Riazuddin | 1930 | 2013 | Pakistani physicist | |||
| Name change | Burmese | San | Saya | Yar Kyaw | 1876 | 1931 | Leader of the 1930–1932 Saya San Rebellion in British Burma | |
| Birth | Burmese | Saw | U or Galon U | 1900 | 1948 | Burmese politician who served as Prime Minister during the colonial era before WW2 | ||
| Name change | Shez | Efrat Yerushalmi | 1959 | - | Israeli poet | |||
| Birth | Indian | Siddaramaiah | 1948 | - | Indian politician who served a full-chief ministerial term of Karnataka from 2013 to 2018 | |||
| Birth | Indonesian | Sjumandjaja | 1934 | 1985 | Indonesian director, screenwriter, and actor | |||
| Birth | Indonesian | Sudirman | 1916 | 1950 | Indonesian National Hero and the first commander of Indonesian Armed Forces | |||
| Birth | Indonesian | Suharto | 1921 | 2008 | former President of Indonesia | |||
| Birth | Indonesian | Sukarno | 1901 | 1970 | former President of Indonesia | |||
| Birth | Indonesian | Supriyadi | 1923 | c. 1945 | Indonesian National Hero and the first appointed Minister of Defense of Indonesia | |||
| Name change | Teller | Raymond Joseph Teller | 1948 | - | American magician | |||
| Birth | Burmese | Thant | U | 1909 | 1974 | Burmese diplomat and longest-serving Secretary-General of the United Nations | ||
| Birth | Indonesian | Triyatno | 1987 | - | Indonesian weightlifter and Olympic silver medalist | |||
| Birth | Mon royalty | U | Binnya | 1323 | 1384 | King of Hanthawaddy in Myanmar from 1348 to 1384 | ||
| Name change | Warrior | James Hellwig | 1959 | 2014 | American professional wrestler | |||
| Name change | Winter | Rafael Antonio Lozano Jr. | 1972 | - | American software programmer best known for his goal to visit every company-owned Starbucks location in the world; changed name first to John Winter Smith, then to mononym Winter | |||
| Name change | Ye | Kanye Omari West | 1977 | - | American rapper, record producer, and fashion designer | |||
| Birth | Indian | Zoramthanga | 1944 | - | Indian politician and current Chief Minister of Mizoram |
References
- Chicago Tribunehttps://www.chicagotribune.com/2002/07/20/turning-back-time-4/
- "@KBetter52 I Don't Have A Last name.Went to court...& Let me tell you it wasn't easy.They don't want Ppl running around with no last names🤣"https://x.com/cher/status/836845856179556352
- IMDbhttps://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000333/bio
- "Copy of Name Change Document"https://web.archive.org/web/20160303211419/http://www.aolcdn.com/tmz_documents/1107_chyna_wm.pdf
- "Hổ là ai? Vì sao cầu thủ của Đắk Lắk chỉ có tên, không có họ?"https://ithethao.vn/bong-da/hang-nhat-quoc-gia-viet-nam/ho-la-ai-vi-sao-cau-thu-cua-dak-lak-chi-co-ten-khong-co-ho-tt51877.html
- "Watch This Rad Feminist Short Film of Girls Playing Soccer in Jodhpur"http://jezebel.com/watch-this-rad-feminist-short-film-of-girls-playing-soc-1639677259
- The Telegraphhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/09/09/canada-international-rebecca-quinn-comes-transgender/
- Pennandteller.comhttps://web.archive.org/web/20070813090329/http://pennandteller.com/sincity/penn-n-teller/faq.html#Teller
- Historical Dictionary of Wrestling – John Grasso – Google Bookshttps://books.google.com/books?id=KUsJAwAAQBAJ&q=ultimate+warrior+changed+name&pg=PA305
- The Death of WCW: 10th Anniversary Edition of the Bestselling Classic — Revised and Expanded
- starbuckseverywhere.nethttp://starbuckseverywhere.net/
- The Independenthttps://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/kanye-west-name-change-ye-real-b1940681.html8512169002/