Are Bert and Ernie named after characters from It's a Wonderful Life?

In Elmo Saves Christmas, Ernie and Bert catch a scene from It's a Wonderful Life, and react to the "Ernie and Bert dialogue."

It's been stated in numerous articles, websites and television shows that Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street were named after the policeman and cab driver from the film It's a Wonderful Life, who were also named Bert and Ernie.

There has never been any official confirmation of this statement, and most sources from the Henson company have said it to be merely a coincidence.

The old Ask Henson.com website feature this response:

“While Bert and Ernie's names have often been linked to those of the cop and cab driver in It's A Wonderful Life, Jim Henson and others have always said that that is just a coincidence. Apparently, Bert's and Ernie's names were picked just because the creators/writers liked them, they fit the characters, and they sounded good together.”

Sesame Street writer Jon Stone has attested on many occasions that this similarity is purely a coincidence.