Nick Saban, Katie Britt, Charles Barkley and other famous Alabama people’s middle names
Ever wonder what Nick Saban’s middle name is? What about Charles Barkley? Or Gov. Kay Ivey?
No matter how much you think you know about the most famous people who hail from or became known in Alabama, there’s always something new you can learn about them. And we think that tidbit comes in the form of a middle name.
Some actually go by their middle names, so we found the first instead.
See the list below, and tell me which interesting middle names we left out…
Former New York Jets quarterback “Broadway” Joe Namath poses before the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) AP
Joe Namath
William.
Let’s start with perhaps the most famous middle name on this list. You might know him better as “Joe Willie.”
Nick Saban on the “Marty & McGee” set. Alabama and Auburn fans gather at the “SEC Nation” set ahead of the Iron Bowl in Tuscaloosa Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022. (Ben Flanagan / AL.com)
Nick Saban
Lou.
Yep, just Lou. Not Louis. Nicholas Lou Saban Jr., named after his father.
Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant attends to some paperwork in his office in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Dec. 15, 1982, after announcing that he would retire as football coach after the Liberty Bowl. Ray Perkins of the New York Giants will replace him. (AP Photo/Joe Holloway Jr.)AP
Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant
William.
Most know it’s a “W” from Paul W. Bryant, but did you know it was William?
Auburn football coach Pat Dye chats with Alabama’s Paul “Bear” Bryant prior to the 1982 Iron Bowl at Legion Field in Birmingham. (Birmingham News file photo by Ed Jones)The Birmingham News
Pat Dye
Fain.
Auburn athletic director john Cohen, left, shakes hands with football coach Hugh Freeze at a news conference Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Todd Van Emst)AP
Hugh Freeze
Danny (first name).
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey greets a crowd of supporters in Montgomery, Alabama, after winning the Republican primary election Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (Julie Bennett | for al.com)Julie Bennett | al.com
Kay Ivey
Ellen.
Courteney Cox attended the world premiere of “Dumplin'” at TCL Chinese Theatre on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018, in Los Angeles.(Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
Courteney Cox
Bass.
Sure, but do you know Monica Geller’s middle name?
Auburn won the game with a score of 23 to 20. Alabama Media GroupAlabama Media Group
Bo Jackson
Vincent Edward “Bo” Jackson (full name).
Bo knows nicknames, turns out.
This Oct. 28, 1986, file photo shows Rosa Parks at Ellis Island in New York. A letter written by Parks describing the 1957 bombing of neighbors’ home has been purchased at auction by the couple who were targeted in the attack. Alabama State University announced that the Rev. Robert Graetz and his wife Jeannie purchased the letter by Parks describing the bombing of their home.(AP Photo/File)
Rosa Parks
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (full name).
Jesse OwensAL.com file
Jesse Owens
James Cleveland Owens (full name).
Taylor Hicks performs at the “American Idol” farewell season finale at the Dolby Theatre on Thursday, April 7, 2016, in Los Angeles. (Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)
Taylor Hicks
Reuben.
Who knew he shared a name (different spelling) with his fellow Alabama-born “American Idol” winner?
Brittany Howard poses on the press line at the 63rd Grammy Awards at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Tuesday, March 9, 2021. The award show airs on March 14 with both live and prerecorded segments.(Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Brittany Howard
Amber.
Alabama quarterback Bryce Young (9) celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass during the second half of the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football game against Kansas State, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP
Bryce Young
Christopher.
Add “Heisman winner” to the birth certificate.
Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts at Orange Bowl 2018 Media Day. (Ben Flanagan / AL.com)
Jalen Hurts
Alexander.
His nickname nearly became “Super Bowl winner.” There’s always next year.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) drops back to pass during an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Dec.4, 2022, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Scot Tucker)AP
Tua Tagovailoa
Tuanigamanuolepola (first name).
Katie Britt becomes the first elected female U. S. Senator from Alabama 11-8-2022. (Joe Songer for al.com).Joe Songer
Katie Britt
Elizabeth.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton runs onto the field before an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)AP
Cam Newton
Jerrell.
Toss in Heisman winner, national champion and NFL MVP while you’re at it.
Hannah Brown, Alabama native and star of “The Bachelorette” and “Dancing with the Stars,” meets with fans and signs copies of her book “God Bless This Mess.” (Ben Flanagan / AL.com)
Hannah Brown
Kelsey.
There have been other Hannahs and Kelseys on various “Bachelor” seasons.
Nate Oats. The Alabama men’s basketball team hosts Mississippi State in Coleman Coliseum Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. The Crimson Tide won 66-63. (Ben Flanagan / AL.com)
Nate Oats
Justin.
You learned this just in time for March Madness.
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl shouts to players during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against South Carolina Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, in Columbia, S.C. Auburn won 81-66. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)AP
Bruce Pearl
Alan.
Charles Barkley is honored during the Alabama at Auburn Iron Bowl football game, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. (Vasha Hunt)AP
Charles Barkley
Wade.
No, his middle name is not “Round Mound of Rebound.”
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 08: (L-R) Octavia Spencer and Auburn University Mascot, Aubie the Tiger attend the Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony for Octavia Spencer on December 08, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)Getty Images
Octavia Spencer
Lenora.
Former Auburn player and interim head coach Carnell Williams is welcomed by fans as he walks the field before an NCAA college football game against Texas A&M, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP
Carnell ‘Cadillac’ Williams
Lamar.
Forever known on a first-name basis.
FILE – Former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens is shown before an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders in Santa Clara, Calif., on Nov. 1, 2018. Owens said a fight caught on camera in which he punched a man in a CVS parking lot was the result of an “aggressor” threatening him and a fan he was talking to at the California store on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)AP
Terrell Owens
Eldorado.
OK, this one kinda rules. Why didn’t T.O. roll with this?
Channing Tatum, an Alabama native, is on Time’s 2022 list of the 100 most influential people in the world. (Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)
Channing Tatum
Matthew.
His middle name is neither Magic nor Mike.
Actress Sela Ward attends The Hollywood Reporter’s annual Most Powerful People in Media cocktail reception at The Pool on Thursday, April 11, 2019, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
Sela Ward
Ann.
Deontay Wilder stands on the scale during a weigh-in for his WBC heavyweight championship boxing match against Tyson Fury, of England, Friday, Feb. 21, 2020, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)AP
Deontay Wilder
Leshun.
The former world heavyweight champ has an awesome nickname, too: The Bronze Bomber.
Jason Isbell (above) performing at Sloss Fest in 2018. (Ben Flanagan / AL.com)
Jason Isbell
Michael (first name).
Lionel Richie performs at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, on Friday, April 29, 2022, in New Orleans. (Amy Harris/Invision/AP)
Lionel Richie
Brockman.
Roy Wood Jr. attends the 50th International Emmy Awards at the New York Hilton Midtown on Monday. Nov. 21, 2022, in New York. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Roy Wood Jr.
Norris.
Named after his father, former radio broadcaster Roy Wood Sr.
Bo Bice, an Alabama native, competed on “American Idol” in 2005 and became a fan favorite. He earned runner-up status, finishing second to Carrie Underwood. (FOX photo)
Bo Bice
Harold Elwin “Bo” Bice Jr.
1904: American lecturer and writer Helen Adams Keller (1880 -1968) on the day of her graduation from Radcliffe College, Massachusetts. Blind, deaf and mute from the age of one, she was taught to read Braille, speak and lipread with her fingers by teacher Anne Sullivan. (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)
Helen Keller
Adams.
Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks at an Apple event on the campus of Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)AP
Tim Cook
Donald.
FILE – In this Aug. 20, 2007, file photo, “To Kill A Mockingbird” author Harper Lee smiles during a ceremony honoring the four new members of the Alabama Academy of Honor, at the state Capitol in Montgomery, Ala. Lee railed against her Alabama hometown for trying to exploit her success in a letter that helps explain later legal battles involving commercialization of her novel. The writer’s bitter assessment of Monroeville comes in a three-page letter that’s being sold with other items by Bonhams auctions. (AP Photo/Rob Carr, File)AP
Harper Lee
Nelle (first name).
Hank Aaron waves to fans during the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Sunday, July 28, 2013, in Cooperstown, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)AP
Hank Aaron
Louis.
Tallulah Bankhead, an Alabama native, made her fame in the theater during the 1930s and early ’40s. Her most memorable roles included Regina Giddens in “The Little Foxes” and Sabina in “The Skin of Our Teeth.” Her film career didn’t burn as brightly, but Bankhead did earn acclaim for her performance in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Lifeboat,” released in 1944.(AL.com file photo)
Tallulah Bankhead
Brockman.
Mo Brooks listens to his constituents before election results are tallied at Mo Brooks’ campaign headquarters at Bullet & Barrel Tuesday, June 21, 2022 in Huntsville, Ala. (Eric Schultz/AMG)AL.com
Mo Brooks
Morris Jackson Brooks (full name).
FILE – This 1966 file photo shows author Truman Capote in a studio recording the narration for his film adaptation of his short story, “A Christmas Memory,” in New York. (AP Photo, file)AP
Truman Capote
Garcia. (Born Truman Streckfus Persons)
After he moved to New York, his mother’s second husband Jose Garcia Capote adopted him as his son and renamed him Truman Garcia Capote.
FILE – This June 16, 2010 file photo, Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., participates in a ceremony to unveil two plaques recognizing the contributions of enslaved African Americans in the construction of the United States Capitol on Capitol Hill in Washington. Lewis, who carried the struggle against racial discrimination from Southern battlegrounds of the 1960s to the halls of Congress, has died. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed his passing late Friday, July 17, 2020. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File) APAP
John Lewis
Robert.
Jim Nabors, the Gomer Pyle of CBS television on Nov. 14, 1967, In his California home. (AP Photo)AP
Jim Nabors
Thurston.
Nope, it isn’t Gomer.
Alabama frontman Randy Owen sings a number as they perform on the Wind Creek Steel Stage during Musikfest on August 13, 2022.Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com
Randy Owen
Yeuell.
Yeuell definitely have a great time at an Alabama concert.
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions delivers remarks about defending national security, at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Jeff Sessions
Beauregard.
This became a talking point after Trump named him United States attorney general.
Tommy Shaw, of Styx, performs on stage at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on Saturday, June 16, 2018, in Alpharetta, Ga. (Photo by Paul R. Giunta/Invision/AP)Paul R. Giunta/Invision/AP
Tommy Shaw
Roland.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart speaks during a news conference ahead of the national championship NCAA College Football Playoff game between Georgia and TCU, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Los Angeles. The championship football game will be played Monday. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kirby Smart
Paul.
Has the Montgomery native surpassed his master, Lou?
Meteorologist James Spann. (Ben Flanagan/al.com)
James Spann
Max.
Few meteorologists could have predicted this middle name. Named after his father, James Max Spann Sr.
FILE – In this June 28,1968 file photo, presidential candidate, former Alabama Gov. George Wallace arrives in Boston. Wallace was elected governor of Alabama in 1962 and declared, “Segregation now. Segregation tomorrow. Segregation forever.” (AP Photo, File)AP
George Wallace
Corley.