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
- Jerry - a Jerry Nelson lookalike
- Jim- a Jim Henson lookalike
- Lou - named after Louise Gold
- Roger - named after Roger Knight
Sesame Street
- Big Jeffy - named after Jeff Moss
- Jeffy - named after Jeff Moss
- Calypso Calloway - named after Northern Calloway
- 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
- Little Jerry - named after Jerry Nelson
- Mr. Jerry - 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
- 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 this sketch (EKA: Episode 1090), two Muppets performed by Frank Oz and Jerry Nelson, respectively.
- Kevin and Kathryn - In a Professor Grover sketch about school (EKA: Episode 2598), two classmates named after their performers, Kevin Clash and Kathryn Mullen, respectively.
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
- It was originally suggested that Zoe on Sesame Street be named after her performed, Fran Brill. Fran 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
- Bert and Ernie - See Are Bert and Ernie named after characters from It's a Wonderful Life?
- 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.
- Ferlinghetti Donizetti - Named after poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti
- Fozzie Bear - see Fozzie's name
- 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.
- Ricardo Monsterban - named after actor Ricardo Montalbán.
- Rizzo - named after Ratso Rizzo from Midnight Cowboy.
- Salvador Dada - named after Salvador Dalí
- Svengali - named after a character in George du Maurier's novel Trilby.
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 Borcellino Brothers - named after the Italian hat company Borcellino.
- 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
- 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"
- Herry Monster - a play on "hairy monster"
- Hugh Mungous - a play on "humongous"
- Hypocritic Oaf - a play on "hippocratic oath"
- Ms. Nomer - a play on "misnomer"
- 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 "Sopwith Camel"
- Tatooey Rat - a play on "ratatouille"
- Lew Zealand - a play on "New Zealand"
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.
- 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
Sources
- ↑ Sesame Street Unpaved, p. 87
- ↑ "The Woman Behind Miss Piggy", Anika Gupta, Smithsonian magazine, October 2008.