The common method of referring to pioneering
scientist Galileo Galilei. One web site says that this dates to his great
fame during his life; his astronomical discoveries were so well known that there was no need to identify him by
full name. (Since his first name derives from a Tuscan custom of giving the oldest
son a personal name which is a variation of the
family name, the full name is a bit redundant anyway.)
Sources:
http://www.rit.edu/~flwstv/galileo.html
http://www.thursdaysclassroom.com/index_03feb00.html