| 100% | BBKING | 6 | Blues royalty with two initials as his first name |
| 37% | ERNIE | 5 | Golfer Els who shares his first name with a Muppet |
| 37% | JOHNBELUSHI | 11 | Actor with the same initials as Jake Blues, his role in "The Blues Brothers" |
| 36% | MILNE | 5 | Author who went by his first two initials |
| 36% | LUDWIG | 6 | "Black Panther" composer Göransson, who shares his first name with another famous composer |
| 35% | ICHIRO | 6 | Suzuki with his first name on his jersey |
| 35% | IKE | 3 | Candy icon with the same name as his partner, minus the first lettter |
| 34% | ERICCLAPTON | 11 | "Layla" guitarist who shares his first name with the prince in "The Little Mermaid": 2 wds. |
| 34% | ALDA | 4 | Actor whose four-letter first name shares three letters with his last |
| 34% | HENRI | 5 | With 63-Across, first two names of Guy de Maupassant |
| 34% | OBAMA | 5 | President with the same first and last name as his father |
| 33% | KEA | 3 | Mauna __: alphabetically first of two Hawaiian volcanoes with similar names |
| 33% | SEAN | 4 | Actor Bean, whose first name looks like it rhymes with his last, but doesn't |
| 32% | ZORRO | 5 | Swordsman associated with a mark shaped like the first letter of his name |
| 31% | MICHELANGELO | 12 | Italian Renaissance artist known primarily by his first name |
| 31% | THOMAS | 6 | With 65 Across, the first to see his name ''up in lights'' (1881) |
| 31% | EMERIL | 6 | Chef known by his first name |
| 30% | ALDA | 4 | Multi-Emmy-winning actor whose first and last names start with the same two letters |
| 30% | ETTA | 4 | First name in blues |
| 30% | ALCAPONE | 8 | Noted criminal whose name starts with the same first four letters as where he was imprisoned |
| 30% | SCHUMACHER | 10 | Retired German F1 racing driver who shares his first name with 31a, and according to Forbes is the fifth highest-paid athlete of all time |
| 30% | MARIE | 5 | First name on two Nobels |
| 30% | ALI | 3 | Actor who shortened his first name from Mahershalalhashbaz |
| 29% | TIGERSLAM | 9 | Winning four consecutive majors over a two-year span, as named for the first to do it |
| 29% | ELLEN | 5 | First name of two first ladies |
| 29% | ABIGAIL | 7 | First name of two first ladies |
| 29% | IMPEI | 5 | His first initial stands for "Ieoh" |
| 29% | MEL | 3 | First name of two Spice Girls |
| 29% | LOU | 3 | First name associated with 53-Across |
| 29% | ELLA | 4 | First name associated with 21 Across |