His First Name Is Alexander

Boris Johnson was born in New York City as Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson. His father, an Englishman, was a student at Columbia University when he was born in 1964. He holds dual citizenship—he holds both an American and a British passport—because he was born in the United States.

Johnson's family returned to England when he was five years old. Johnson lost his hearing as a toddler due to a case of glue ear, which also caused temporary hearing loss. A grommet was implanted into his eardrum to remove the moisture. He received a scholarship to Eton as an adolescent and later transferred to Balliol College in Oxford.

The Johnson family uses the abbreviation "Al," as in Alexander, for Boris Johnson. He wrote some of his earliest newspaper articles under the name Alexander Johnson. At Eton, he went by his middle name, Boris, which later gained considerable notoriety. Alexander Johnson's brand isn't as strong as that of Boris Johnson, who is more of a stage name. His public persona is an act, just like the rest of Mr. Johnson's celebrity package.