The Most Common Names in AFL

[dee-eee 231]

Since the late 1990's  , three AFL players who have each played over one hundred games have identical names ( middle given names excluded ) .   Can you name them ?   Any other examples of shared names in the VFL/AFL ?

[Nascent 9,321]

Nathan D Brown: Melbourne (146 games)

Nathan G Brown: Western Bulldogs (137) & Richmond (82)

Nathan J Brown:  Collingwood (130) & St Kilda (53*)

 

*still playing

[Nascent 9,321]

Josh Kennedy of the Eagles and Swans fame both still currently playing.

We did have two Scott Thompsons playing concurrently not too long ago.

Tom Lynch from Adelaide and Gold Coast/Richmond.

Sam Reid from Sydney and GWS Giants.

Bailey Williams from Bulldogs and Eagles.

 

Edit: It appears we also have two Callum Browns (Collingwood, GWS) and Harrison Jones (Hawks, Bombers) playing at the moment, albiet at the start of their careers.

Edited April 20, 2020 by Nascent
More players added

[Demon Disciple 12,452]

You've got too much time on your hands @Nascent ?

[Nascent 9,321]

Waaaay too much time.

[dpositive 1,819]

It's  gonna be a long season, unless someone comes up with an end game.

[Wrecker45 3,378]

I think there has been only 1 Héritier Lumumba

[daisycutter 29,892]

gary ablett and gary ablett

[La Dee-vina Comedia 17,022]

And then there are AFL footballers who share names with other well known Aussies such as Paul Kelly.

(1) Swans footballer; (2) Deputy Chief Medical Officer; (3) singer-songwriter; (4) political jornalist.

At least, I assume they are all different people.

[daisycutter 29,892]

a good one would be what has been the most popular surname in the vfl/afl

i'm guessing smith would be right up there

[Demonstone 23,343]

Curiosity got the better of me, so I looked it up.

You're correct - Smith has been the most common, followed by Williams, Brown, Jones.and Ryan.

Rounding out the top ten are Taylor, Johnson, Wilson, Anderson and McDonald.

[daisycutter 29,892]

3 hours ago, demonstone said:

Curiosity got the better of me, so I looked it up.

You're correct - Smith has been the most common, followed by Williams, Brown, Jones.and Ryan.

Rounding out the top ten are Taylor, Johnson, Wilson, Anderson and McDonald.

good work

can you do it for first-names?..................i'll go for john

[Demonstone 23,343]

With pleasure.  All the following take into account variations/spellings of particular names (eg. John/Jon, Bill/William etc).

Most common is Jack, followed by Bill, John, James and Michael.

The top ten is completed with Bob, Peter, David, Matthew and Stephen.

There is a standout name group in every era, with Bill from 1897 to 1929, Jack from 1930 to 1959, John from 1960 to 1989 and Matthew from 1990 to present.

If you're looking for middle names, I can't help you there!  ?

[Demonstone 23,343]

Further trivia for anyone interested:

In a game between Essendon and Richmond in 1909, there were no fewer than 12 players called Bill/Billy.

From the modern era, a game between St Kilda and Richmond in 2018 had nine blokes called Jack.

[daisycutter 29,892]

19 minutes ago, demonstone said:

With pleasure.  All the following take into account variations/spellings of particular names (eg. John/Jon, Bill/William etc).

Most common is Jack, followed by Bill, John, James and Michael.

The top ten is completed with Bob, Peter, David, Matthew and Stephen.

There is a standout name group in every era, with Bill from 1897 to 1929, Jack from 1930 to 1959, John from 1960 to 1989 and Matthew from 1990 to present.

If you're looking for middle names, I can't help you there!  ?

nice one ds

we could then argue about combining jack and john

Quote

While Jack is now a proper name in its own right, in English, it was traditionally used as a diminutive form of John. It can also be used as a diminutive for: Jacob, Jason, Jonathan, Jan, Johann, Johannes, Joachim and sometimes for James, from its French form Jacques, from the Latin Jacobus.

 

[daisycutter 29,892]

how john became jack

Quote

The name Jack is a boy's name of English origin meaning "God is gracious". Jack is a derivative of John that originated in medieval England. The name went from John to Johnkin to Jankin to Jackin to Jack. The name was so common in the Middle Ages that Jack became a generic term for a man.

 

[Demonstone 23,343]

Yes, that John/Jack thing did occur to me as well and I can only assume that the boys were christened "Jack".

Check out these first names, which have appeared just the once in VFL/AFL history:

Hurtle, Mort, Emery, Christy, Heber, Hollington, Garmah, Ingy, Alvan, Urban, Hamilton, Park and Rino.

From more recent times, we also have Enrico, Gerrick, Mabior, Kayle and Majak.

[daisycutter 29,892]

if you're up to it ds......how many tom, [censored] and harry's have played vfl/afl?

 

[Demonstone 23,343]

I can tell you with certainty that there have been countless D!cks who have umpired the game!

[radar 1,865]

Coodabeens once did Springbok team - can only remember backline

 

White  Mann Bos

Judge Hằng Allday

[Demonstone 23,343]

That was in 'The Coodabeen Champions Big Bumper Footy Book' from 1990, which is still in my footy library.

The Pretoria Proteas team in full:

B:  White Mann Bos

H/B:  Wight Furey Allday

Centres:  Judge Blake Fellowes

H/F:  Wittey   Harmes Black 

F:  Weightman Byrne and Kickett

R:  Moore Payne and Law

I/C:  Pyke and Mace

Coach:  Alan Killigrew

In:  White Law

Out:  Love and Good

 

 

 

[dee-eee 231]

4 hours ago, demonstone said:

That was in 'The Coodabeen Champions Big Bumper Footy Book' from 1990, which is still in my footy library.

The Pretoria Proteas team in full:

B:  White Mann Bos

H/B:  Wight Furey Allday

Centres:  Judge Blake Fellowes

H/F:  Wittey   Harmes Black 

F:  Weightman Byrne and Kickett

R:  Moore Payne and Law

I/C:  Pyke and Mace

Coach:  Alan Killigrew

In:  White Law

Out:  Love and Good

 

 

 

Then there were the rusted- on Aussie colloquial first names such as Hassa (Harold) Mann . With a single given name initial in The Record of his day i'm sure many kids didn't know his real name .

[La Dee-vina Comedia 17,022]

11 hours ago, dee-eee said:

Then there were the rusted- on Aussie colloquial first names such as Hassa (Harold) Mann . With a single given name initial in The Record of his day i'm sure many kids didn't know his real name .

Yep. I was one of those kids.

[daisycutter 29,892]

12 hours ago, dee-eee said:

Then there were the rusted- on Aussie colloquial first names such as Hassa (Harold) Mann . With a single given name initial in The Record of his day i'm sure many kids didn't know his real name .

and don't forget that Jezza Lenko bloke