*Mitt Romney's real first name is (D) Willard. He was named in honor of his father's friend J. Willard Marriott, the hotelier and noted Mormon, whose real first name was John. The young Romney went by "Billy" until he entered kindergarten. He then started using Mitt, his middle name, one that had been given him to honor his father's cousin Milton "Mitt" Romney, a University of Chicago graduate who played quarterback for the Chicago Bears from 1925-1929.