Alan King

We've devoted a slew of profiles to Jewish names changes and reasons behind them, but here is a new one: Alan King changed his name to honor the man who beat him up.

King, who was born Irwin Alan Kniberg in New York, made his way to Canada where he became a boxer, fighting under the name of Alan Knight. He was doing quite well until running into a future Canadian lightweight champion named Arthur King, who pummeled him mightily. "This is no way for a Jewish boy to make a living," Alan recalled himself thinking.

But you know what's a good way for a Jewish boy to make a living? Comedy! So Alan quit boxing on the spot and changed his name to, well, King, which was "small enough to fit on a marquee".

It fit on a bunch of marquees, as King became a prominent comedian know for his long-winded rants. (The likes of Larry David, Billy Crystal, and Robert Klein cite his influence.) He even co-hosted the Oscars in 1972.

A king does trump a knight, doesn't it? As well as whatever a kniberg is...

Verdict: **Jew**.

_April 3, 2026_