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.[1]
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[2]
- 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 — named after the piece of lab equipment.
- Boober — named after an angry cow encountered by one of Jim Henson's daughters in Devon.
See also[]
Sources[]
- ↑ Sesame Street Unpaved, p. 87
- ↑ "The Woman Behind Miss Piggy", Anika Gupta, Smithsonian magazine, October 2008.