Good Names, Good People
A running, dated feed of short, positive profiles of real people — historic and present-day — who share popular names. New posts appear here on a regular schedule; every name's own detail page always shows the full set of profiles researched for it.
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June 29, 2026
Nigel Kennedy — Nigel
Nigel Kennedy is basically the guy who looked at classical music's stuffy dress code and said "nah," and made it work — turning violin performances into something with actual electricity, the kind of energy that gets…
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June 29, 2026
Nigel Mansell — Nigel
I don't know much about racing beyond what I catch on the radio between deliveries, but winning the Formula One championship and then the IndyCar championship in back-to-back years is the kind of detail that actually…
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June 28, 2026
Simón Bolívar — Simon
Simón Bolívar is exactly the sort of name that sends me down a genealogical rabbit hole for an entire afternoon, because leading the independence movements of several nations from Spanish rule isn't just one…
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June 28, 2026
Simon Cowell — Simon
I never had cable long enough to watch much of American Idol, but I heard about it plenty from my grandkids, who used to argue over whether Simon Cowell was being mean or just honest with those young singers. Having…
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June 28, 2026
Simon Pegg — Simon
I confess I have not seen a great many zombie comedies, but I understand Simon Pegg is credited with co-writing Shaun of the Dead as well as starring in it, which is a more demanding trick than casual fans of the genre…
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June 27, 2026
Graham Greene — Graham
I think of Graham Greene almost like a black-and-white film still before I think of him as a novelist, which probably says more about my design brain than about literature — The Third Man has that famous…
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June 27, 2026
Graham Hill — Graham
Graham Hill is one of those names that makes me think about the families waiting at home more than the trophies themselves. Winning the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans — the…
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June 27, 2026
Graham Norton — Graham
Graham Norton's whole career is built on a skill that looks effortless and absolutely is not: making someone feel instantly at ease on camera while still being quick enough to get the joke in first. I notice that kind…
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June 26, 2026
Colin Farrell — Colin
Colin Farrell always struck me as someone who found his real gift after the flash faded a little — I think of him going from loud early roles to the quiet, aching work in In Bruges and later The Banshees of Inisherin,…
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June 26, 2026
Colin Firth — Colin
I will admit that a specific wet-shirt scene from Pride and Prejudice did more to shape a generation's idea of British romance than anything actually written by Jane Austen, and Colin Firth has spent a career since…
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June 26, 2026
Colin Powell — Colin
Colin Powell rose to four-star general and then became the first Black U.S. Secretary of State, and whatever else people argue about regarding any public servant's career, that climb itself, starting where he started…
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June 25, 2026
Neil Armstrong — Neil
Every kid who's ever dreamed about doing something nobody's ever done before should study Neil Armstrong, because that's literally the whole story: first human being to walk on the Moon, a milestone that still stands as…