12 Famous Criminals Whose Nicknames Have Strange Origins
Some of America’s most notorious criminals became so famous that their nicknames eventually overshadowed their real names. People remember Scarface, Baby Face, Bugsy, and Machine Gun Kelly without necessarily knowing who these men actually were.
But something particularly strange lies behind the stories of some of these names.
A ruthless gangster was called Baby Face because he looked young. Another earned a nickname that sounded like an affectionate childhood name because of his explosive temper. And one notorious prisoner became known as the Birdman of Alcatraz, even though he was never allowed to keep birds at Alcatraz itself.
Many of these names came from childhood appearances, personal habits, newspaper descriptions, or embarrassing traits their owners would rather keep private.
Here are 12 famous criminals whose nicknames have surprisingly unusual origins.
Al Capone – Scarface
Few criminal nicknames are as recognizable as Scarface.
Alphonse Gabriel Capone, the notorious Chicago gangster, acquired the name because of three visible scars on his left cheek.
The injuries reportedly came from a confrontation at a Brooklyn-area establishment in 1917. Capone had insulted a woman, and her brother, Frank Galluccio, retaliated by cutting his face with a knife.
The scars eventually became one of his most recognizable physical features.
Interestingly, Capone reportedly disliked the nickname. He preferred to present himself as a respectable businessman and sometimes claimed that his scars came from serving heroically in World War I.
His public image never quite escaped the name that followed him.
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Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd – A Name He Didn’t Appreciate
Imagine being one of America’s most notorious bank robbers and having a nickname that sounds like something given to a handsome schoolboy.
That was Charles Arthur Floyd.
Known as Pretty Boy Floyd, he became one of the most recognizable criminals of the Great Depression. His nickname is generally linked to his youthful appearance, although accounts of its origin differ.
One popular explanation connects it to a witness’s description of a young-looking robber. Other accounts suggest it came from the way Floyd dressed and presented himself.
Whatever its precise origin, Floyd reportedly disliked the name and preferred to be called Choc.
His reputation eventually became much darker than the nickname suggested. He was involved in numerous robberies and was killed by law enforcement officers in Ohio in 1934.
Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel – Named After His Temper
Bugsy sounds like a playful nickname for a mischievous child.
But Benjamin Siegel was anything but harmless.
His associates reportedly called him Bugsy because of his unpredictable and explosive temper. The expression “crazy as a bedbug” described someone whose behavior was considered erratic.
Siegel became a prominent organized-crime figure and was associated with Las Vegas’s development as a gambling destination.
What makes the nickname particularly interesting is that he reportedly hated it. He preferred being called Ben, and people who used Bugsy directly to his face risked provoking him.
A name that sounded almost funny became attached to one of America’s most notorious gangsters.
Lester Gillis – Baby Face Nelson
Perhaps one of the most misleading criminal nicknames in American history belonged to Lester Gillis.
Known as Baby Face Nelson, he had a youthful appearance that made him look considerably less intimidating than his criminal reputation suggested.
According to the FBI, members of his juvenile gang gave him the nickname when he was still a teenager because of his boyish looks.
The contrast between his appearance and his behavior was remarkable.
Nelson became a notorious bank robber and was responsible for killing several law enforcement officers, including three FBI agents.
His nickname sounded innocent, but the man behind it was considered extremely dangerous.
George “Machine Gun” Kelly – His Wife Helped Create the Name
George Kelly Barnes became known as Machine Gun Kelly, a name that sounded almost like a fictional action-movie character.
But his wife, Kathryn Kelly, gave it to him.
According to the FBI, Kathryn encouraged his criminal activities, purchased a machine gun for him, and gave him the nickname.
Kelly became nationally notorious after participating in the 1933 kidnapping of wealthy Oklahoma oilman Charles Urschel.
His arrest also helped popularize the term G-Men, referring to federal government investigators.
Although the famous story claims Kelly shouted, “Don’t shoot, G-Men!” when arrested, the FBI notes that the exact words are uncertain.
His nickname, however, became permanently associated with one of the Bureau’s most famous criminal investigations.
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Robert Stroud – The Birdman of Alcatraz
This is perhaps the most misleading nickname on the list.
Robert Stroud became internationally known as the Birdman of Alcatraz, partly because of the famous film based on his life.
But many people miss an interesting detail: he did not keep birds at Alcatraz.
His interest in birds developed during his imprisonment at Leavenworth Penitentiary in Kansas. Prison authorities allowed him to maintain bird cages, study canaries, and conduct research.
He even wrote books about birds and their diseases.
When Stroud was transferred to Alcatraz in 1942, he was no longer permitted to keep birds.
The nickname nevertheless followed him throughout his later life and became part of American prison history.
Jack “Legs” Diamond – A Nickname With More Than One Explanation
Jack Diamond was a Prohibition-era gangster whose nickname still sparks competing explanations.
Some accounts suggest that he earned the name because of his dancing ability. Others connect it to his speed and ability to escape dangerous situations.
Diamond became notorious for bootlegging, organized crime, and surviving several shooting attempts.
The strange part is that nobody can confidently settle on one explanation for the nickname.
His reputation for escaping violent encounters made the name seem appropriate, but historical accounts also mention a dancing explanation.
Sometimes a nickname survives long after its original meaning becomes uncertain.
Arthur Flegenheimer – Dutch Schultz Wasn’t His Real Name
Dutch Schultz is remembered as a notorious gangster of the Prohibition era.
But his real name was Arthur Flegenheimer.
His adopted criminal identity reportedly came from an earlier street fighter who was known as Dutch Schultz. Flegenheimer adopted the name as he developed his own reputation in New York’s criminal underworld.
The name was not simply a reference to his nationality or background, as some people might assume.
He borrowed it from another figure.
Schultz became involved in bootlegging, gambling, and other criminal enterprises before being fatally shot in 1935.
James “Whitey” Bulger – A Nickname From His Hair
James Bulger, the notorious Boston crime boss, became known as Whitey.
Unlike some criminal nicknames that developed from violent incidents, his reportedly came from his appearance.
As a young man, Bulger had very light blond hair, which earned him the nickname.
It was a relatively ordinary description that eventually became attached to a man whose criminal activities made him one of America’s most notorious fugitives.
Bulger spent years on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list before his capture in 2011.
His nickname reminds us that some of the most recognizable criminal aliases began as simple observations about someone’s appearance.
Vincent “Mad Dog” Coll – A Newspaper Name That Stuck
Vincent Coll was a violent New York gangster whose nickname sounded more like an insult than a criminal title.
Known as Mad Dog Coll, he became notorious during the bloody gang conflicts of the early 1930s.
His reputation for unpredictable violence helped make the nickname memorable, and newspapers used it to describe his increasingly notorious activities.
The name became part of his public image.
Col was eventually murdered in a telephone booth in Manhattan in 1932.
His story shows how newspaper coverage turned criminal nicknames into permanent identities.
Charles “Lucky” Luciano – The Man Whose Luck Became Part of His Identity
Charles Luciano is widely remembered as Lucky Luciano, one of the most influential figures in American organized crime history.
But the origin of Lucky is not completely settled.
One popular explanation connects the nickname to his survival of a brutal attack in 1929, when he was kidnapped and severely beaten. Despite his injuries, he survived.
Other accounts connect the name to his ability to survive dangerous situations and navigate the criminal world.
Luciano later became a major figure in organizing American Mafia groups.
Whether the name came from one particular incident or a broader reputation for surviving danger, it became inseparable from his identity.
Ma Barker – A Criminal Nickname That Sounded Almost Respectable
Arizona Donnie Barker became known as Ma Barker, a name that sounded more like a friendly neighborhood mother than someone associated with notorious criminals.
The nickname came from her role as the mother of several sons who became involved in bank robberies and other crimes.
Her sons included Herman, Lloyd, Arthur, and Fred Barker.
Newspapers and law enforcement officials portrayed her as a powerful criminal mastermind who directed the gang’s activities. However, historians have questioned how much control she actually exercised over her sons’ crimes.
The FBI’s historical account notes that the image of Ma Barker as the gang’s mastermind was exaggerated.
She was killed alongside her son Fred during an FBI shootout in Florida in 1935.
Her nickname became one of the most recognizable labels associated with Depression-era American crime.
Why Did Criminals Have Such Strange Nicknames?
Criminals rarely had a single way to earn their famous aliases.
Some names came from physical characteristics, such as Scarface and Whitey. Others reflected personality traits, like Bugsy and Mad Dog.
Newspapers also played an important role. A memorable nickname made a criminal easier to recognize in headlines and helped turn ordinary names into national stories.
Interestingly, some of the criminals reportedly hated the names that made them famous. They wanted to be feared, respected, or taken seriously, not remembered by nicknames that sounded humorous or childish.
Today, those aliases remain part of American history, reminding us how a simple name can sometimes become more famous than the person who carried it.
Which nickname surprises you most? Would you have guessed that Baby Face Nelson was one of the most violent criminals of his era, or that the Birdman of Alcatraz was never allowed to keep birds at Alcatraz?
