Character name origins

Jerry Nelson and Jerry

Characters named after performers/crew

The Muppets

• Betsy Bird — named after Betsy Baytos
• Cynthia Birdley — named after Cynthia Adler
• Fletcher Bird — named after Graham Fletcher
• Frank — a Frank Oz lookalike
• Gene — named after Gene Barretta
• Jerry — a Jerry Nelson lookalike
• Jim — a Jim Henson lookalike
• Joe the Armadillo — named after Joey Mazzarino
• Lou — named after Louise Gold
• Roger — named after Roger Knight
• Walter — named after a puppet that Jason Segel owned

Sesame Street

• Big Jeffie — named after Jeff Moss
• Jeffy — named after Jeff Moss
• Calypso Calloway — named after Northern Calloway
• Carmen — named after Carmen Osbahr
• Chrissy — named after Christopher Cerf
• Little Chrissy — named after Christopher Cerf
• Davey Monkey — named after David Rudman
• Fran — named after Fran Brill
• Miss Fran — named after Fran Brill
• Farmer Frankie — named after Frank Oz
• Frances Oznowicz — named after Frank Oz
• Frannie — named after Fran Brill
• Little Jerry — named after Jerry Nelson
• Little Sammy Pottle — named after Sam Pottle
• Mr. Jerry — named after Jerry Nelson
• Nelson in Episode 3878 — named after Jerry Nelson
• Joe Marley — named after Joey Mazzarino
• Joey Dickens — named after Joey Mazzarino
• Joey Monkey — named after Joey Mazzarino
• Louisey — named after Louise Gold
• Marty — named after Martin P. Robinson
• Richard — named after Richard Hunt
• Rockin' Richard — named after Richard Hunt
• Pammy — named after Pam Arciero
• Diva D'Abruzzo — named after Stephanie D'Abruzzo
• Mrs. Turow — named after Cathi Rosenberg-Turow (performed by Stephanie D'Abruzzo)
• Frank and Jerry — in a sketch about measuring (First: Episode 0905), two Muppets performed by Frank Oz and Jerry Nelson, respectively.
• Kevin and Kathryn — in a Professor Grover sketch about school (First: Episode 1969), two classmates named after their performers, Kevin Clash and Kathryn Mullen, respectively.
• Lara and Matt — in the video Learning is Everywhere, two friends Elmo and Abby meet at the park are named after their performers, Lara MacLean and Matt Vogel, respectively.
• Matt from Episode 4224 — named after Matt Vogel

Fraggle Rock

• Balsam — named after Philip Balsam (performed by Lee Armstrong, Jerry Nelson and Karen Prell)
• Gillis Fraggle — named after Don Gillis (performed by Richard Hunt)
• Phil Fraggle — named after Philip Balsam

The Animal Show

• Dave the Human — Dave Goelz (puppet performed by Bill Barretta)

Other

• Regina, Queen of Ka-Larry — named after writer's assistant Regina Calarie
• It was originally suggested that Zoe on Sesame Street be named after her performer, Fran Brill. Brill didn't want a puppet named after her, so she suggested naming the puppet Zoe after the J. D. Salinger novel Franny and Zooey.

Characters named after other people

• Alphonso D'Abruzzo — named after Alan Alda's real name.
• Bert and Ernie — see Are Bert and Ernie named after characters from It's a Wonderful Life?
• Deena — named after a close friend of Norman Stiles.
• Bunsen Honeydew — named after chemist Robert Bunsen (of bunsen burner fame), and the honeydew melon.
• Donnie and Marie Dodo — named after Donny and Marie Osmond.
• Fozzie Bear — see Fozzie's name
• Gloria Estefan (penguin) — named after Gloria Estefan
• Humphrey and Ingrid — named after Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.
• Kermit the Frog — see Was Kermit named after a childhood friend of Jim Henson?
• Miss Piggy — named after Peggy Lee
• Mokey — named after a childhood friend of Jim Henson.
• Prairie Dawn — named after an actress named Prairie Dorn.
• Rizzo the Rat — named after Ratso Rizzo from Midnight Cowboy.
• Svengali — named after a character in George du Maurier's novel Trilby.

see also: Category:Caricature Muppets and Category:Parody Muppets

Characters named after places

• Astoria — named after the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.
• Belmont — named after the horse racing track Belmont Park.
• The Bouncing Borsalino Brothers — named after the Italian hat company Borsalino.
• Waldorf — named after the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.
• Wembley — named after Wembley Stadium.
• Signor Baffi — named after Signor Baffi's Italian restaurant.
• Statler — named after the Statler Hotel in New York City.
• Oscar the Grouch — named after Oscar's Tavern in Manhattan.

Characters named after filmmaking techniques

• Limbo — used in video production to indicate a neutral or nondescript background.
• Gobo — short for "go between"; a lighting term used in film, television and theatre.
• Traveling Matt — from "traveling matte," a technique used in television and film to insert a foreground object into a prerecorded background image.
• Waldo — after the waldo, the electronic device used to perform him.

Characters whose names are puns

• Abby Cadabby — a play on "abracadabra"
• Anne Phibian — a play on "amphibian"
• A. Ligator — a play on "aligator"
• Bestov Breed — a play on "best of breed"
• Gonnigan — a play on "gone again"
• Gordon Blue — a play on the French baked chicken dish "cordon bleu"
• Herry Monster — a play on "hairy monster"
• Hugh Mungous — a play on "humongous"
• Hypocritic Oaf — a play on "hippocratic oath"
• Ida Claire — a play on "I declare"
• Ms. Nomer — a play on "misnomer"
• Isabel — she "is a bell"
• Lew Zealand — a play on "New Zealand"
• Link Hogthrob - a sausage link plus a play on "heartthrob"
• Lotta Chatter — a play on "lot of chatter"
• Mr. Mason Dixon — a play on "the Mason Dixon line"
• Dr. Nobel Price — a play on "Nobel Prize"
• Phil Harmonic — a play on "Philharmonic"
• Sal Minella — a play on "salmonella"
• Sopwith the Camel — a play on the "Sopwith Camel" biplane
• Spa'am - a play on Spam
• Spamela Hamderson - Spam plus Pamela Anderson
• Tatooey Rat — a play on "ratatouille"

Characters whose names are anagrams

• Kermit the Forg — scrambling of the letters in "frog"
• Kermit the Gorf — scrambling of the letters in "frog"
• Kermit the Grof — scrambling of the letters in "frog"
• The Teppums — "Teppum" Muppet backwards
• Oznog — "Gonzo" backwards
• Timrek the Gorf — "Kermit the Frog" backwards

Other name origins

• Beaker and Bunsen — named after the pieces of lab equipment.
• Boober — named after an angry cow encountered by one of Jim Henson's daughters in Devon.

See also

• Inconsistent character names