Who expressed ideas similar to Occam’s razor before William of Ockham?

While the principle of parsimony is famously associated with William of Ockham, it is a common misconception that he was the first to conceive of it. The idea, often summarized as "plurality should not be posited without necessity," was utilized by thinkers before him.1

The French Dominican theologian and philosopher Durandus of Saint-Pourçain invoked this principle prior to Ockham. Durandus employed the concept to argue against the necessity of certain entities, such as Aristotelian cognitive species or an active intellect, which he viewed as unnecessary abstractions.1

Ockham is credited with the name "Occam’s razor" because he applied the principle of economy with such frequency and precision that it became synonymous with his work.1