What's in a Name?

Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen. Visit Eddie at his website or at Facebook.

Ethel Mertz had three different middle names in I Love Lucy. She was (in various episodes) Ethel Mae, Ethel Roberta and Eethel Louise Potter before marrying her husband Fred Hobart Mertz. Lucy's maiden name was Lucille Esmeralda McGillicuddy. Ricky's full name was Ricardo Alberto Fernando Ricardo y de Acha.

Clark Kent's middle name has been variously given as Joseph, Jerome and Jonathan. (Shades of Ethel Mertz!) Jimmy Olsen's full name? James Bartholomew Olsen.

Tarzan's real name is John Clayton, Lord Greystoke.

The Sweathogs of Welcome Back, Kotter were Arnold Dingfelder Horshack, Freddie Percy Washington, and Juan Luis Pedro Felipe de Huevas Epstein. Vinnie Barbarino was just plain Vinnie Barbarino.

The rich guy in the game Monopoly is Milburn Pennybags, the policeman is Edgar Mallory and the guy in jail is Jake the Jailbird. In Clue, you are in the mansion of Mr. Boddy. The patient in Operation is Cavity Sam.

Who the heck are Dino Paul Crocetti and Jerome Levitch? They're better known as Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

The Lone Ranger's surname is Reid. His first name is unknown. We know the Lone Ranger's horse was named Silver. Tonto's horse was Scout.

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta wouldn't look so good on a marquee. Lady Gaga sounds much better.

Mr. Clean has a first name. It is Veritably.

Wilma Flintstone was given both Pebble and Slaghoople as her maiden names. Betty Rubble was Betty Jean McBricker before she married Barney Rubble. In the original Flintstones, Fred has no specific middle name, but in one episode he gives his name as "Fred F. Flintstone."

In The Beverly Hillbillies, Granny's real name is Daisy Moses.

Arthur Stanley Jefferson sounds rather serious, doesn't it? Stan Laurel is much funnier.

In the Archie comics, Jughead's real name is Forsythe P. Jones.

On The Dick Van Dyke Show, Rob Petrie's middle name was Simpson. Laura Petrie's maiden name is another one of those "two different ones." She's sometimes Laura Meeker and sometimes Laura Meehan. Buddy Sorrell's real name is Maurice. His wife "Pickles" is really Fiona.

Roy Harold Scherer Jr.? Never heard of him. How about his alter ego: Rock Hudson?

Remember Uncle Martin in My Favorite Martian? His martian name was Exigius Twelve and a Half.

In real life, Mr. Ed was named Bamboo Harvester.

The tin woodsman of Oz was Nick Chopper before he became a tin man.

The Skipper on Gilligan's Island was Jonas Grumby. The professor was Roy Hinckley and Mary Ann's last name was Summers. Gilligan was apparently his first name. If he had another first name, it would have been Willy (according to series creator Sherwood Schwartz). Mrs. Howell was Eunice Wentworth before she married her beloved Thurston.

The Michelin man is Bibendum.

Mr. Goodwrench's first name is Phil.

Maynard G. Krebs middle name was Walter. ("My mother was a bad speller.")

In Peanuts, Peppermint Pattie is really Patricia Reichardt.

Ed Norton's middle name is Lillywhite on The Honeymooners. His wife, Trixie, is actually Thelma.

Who is Margery Meanwell? That's the real name of Goody Two-Shoes.

Turtle's name on Entourage is Salvatore Assante.

Cap'n Crunch's full name is Horatio Magellen Crunch.

Winnie the pooh is actually Edward Bear.

In Curious George, the man in the yellow hat is Ted Shackleford.

Shaggy on Scooby-Doo is actually named Norville Rogers.

Darth Vader is Anakin Skywalker.

On Bonanza, Hoss Cartwright's actual first name is Eric.

The Simpsons? It's Homer Jay Simpson, Bartholemew Jojo Simpson, and Lisa Marie Simpson. Marge was Marge Bouvier before she married Homer.

And Peter Griffin' of Family Guy has the full name of Peter Lowenbrau Griffin. Stewie's middle name is Gilligan, Chris's is Cross and Lois was Lois Patrice Pewterschmidt before she wed Peter.

Punky Brewster was Penelope before she took on her nickname.

Who are Robert Leroy Parker and Harry Longbaugh? Why, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

I never knew Yosemite Sam was Jewish. Well, his real name is Samuel Rosenbaum.


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As many know, the "T" in Capt. James T. Kirk from Star Trek stood for Tiberius. But did you know that Tiberius was also the middle name of one Woody Boyd, the young bartender from Cheers?

And in case you're interested, the name Horshack means "The cattle are dying" (per Arnold himself on an episode).
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Another masked vigilante/crusader for law and order was 'Britt Reid', a/k/a 'The Green Hornet'.  Sharp-eyed readers will note that he and the Lone Ranger share the same last name.

Coincidence?  Not really, when one considers that Fran Striker (creator of the Lone Ranger) was also a co-creator of the Green Hornet character for radio.

According to the Lone Ranger radio show, the Lone Ranger had a nephew, Dan Reid Jr. (the son of his older brother who died in the Cavendish ambush).  When Fran Striker was working on what would eventually become the "Green Hornet" radio program (which, incidentally, was produced by Detroit radio station WXYZ; the same radio station that had originated the "Lone Ranger" series) he made a conscious decision to create the back-story that Dan Reid Jr. was Britt Reid's father — so it is now canon that the Lone Ranger is actually the great-uncle of the Green Hornet.
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"The Lone Ranger's surname is Reid.  His first name is unknown."
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The Lone Ranger is called that because he was the sole survivor of an ambush/massacre of a group of six Texas Rangers by the Butch Cavendish gang.  A fake grave was dug along with the other five, to make Cavendish believe that all six had died.  The name placed on the dummy grave was "John Reid"; although whether this was his actual name is still a subject for conjecture.
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