Plenty of fictional characters have become household names over the years: Barbie, Mickey Mouse, Mario—the list is goes on and on. But did you know that these are sometimes just shortened versions of their real names? Yes, many of these characters have far longer made-up monikers. To broaden your knowledge, we've rounded up 23 fictional characters whose full names you might not have known.
1 | Barbie — Barbara Millicent Roberts
ShutterstockBarbie may be internationally known, but it turns out that that's not the doll's real name. Barbie's creator, Ruth Handler, named the doll Barbara Millicent Roberts after her daughter in 1959. Yes, "Barbie" is just a nickname!
2 | Ken — Kenneth Sean Carson
ShutterstockBarbie's not the only doll whose real name has been swept under the rug. When the Ken doll was released in 1961, Handler originally named him Kenneth Sean Carson after her son.
3 | The Wizard of Oz — Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Issac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs
IMDB/WarnerUnsurprisingly, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz's real name isn't actually "The Wizard" or "The Wonderful." His full name is Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Issac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs. We guess "The Wizard of Oz" just rolled off the tongue a little more easily.
4 | Cap'n Crunch — Horatio Magellan Crunch
ShutterstockAlthough he's known by the name of "Cap'n Crunch," that's not actually the fictional cereal box character's full moniker. Rather, the breakfast hero's full name is actually Horatio Magellan Crunch.
5 | Shaggy — Norville Rogers
ShutterstockShaggy is, of course, the lovably goofy human best friend of Scooby-Doo. But the iconic, food-loving character's well-known moniker is actually just a nickname. As he once revealed on the cartoon series, his real name is actually Norville Rogers.
6 | The Man with the Yellow Hat — Ted Shackleford
IMDB/Universal PicturesCurious George's faithful human companion is often just referred to as "The Man with the Yellow Hat." However, throughout the 2006 film Curious George, the man is called "Ted" repeatedly—and in one scene, which was deleted from the final cut, the character is even referred to by his full name: Ted Shackleford.
7 | Mr. Peanut — Bartholomew Richard Fitzgerald-Smythe Peanut
ShutterstockThe friendly and dapper personified peanut featured on all of Planters's products might be recognized as Mr. Peanut, but his full name is actually Bartholomew Richard Fitzgerald-Smythe Peanut. It suits him, right?
8 | Uncle Pennybags — Milburn Pennybags
ShutterstockThe man on the Monopoly board has had several different aliases: Uncle Pennybags, Mr. Monopoly, Monopoly Man, and even Monocle Man (despite not wearing a monocle). However, the Monopoly mascot actually has a real name, and it's Milburn Pennybags.
9 | The Monopoly Policeman — Officer Edgar Mallory
ShutterstockIf you meet the dreaded "Go to Jail" fate in a game of Monopoly, you're whisked away by the police officer pictured. But just like 'ole Pennybags, this officer has a real name—and it's Officer Edgar Mallory.
10 | Winnie the Pooh — Edward Bear
ShutterstockWinnie the Pooh didn't actually get his start as Winnie the Pooh. His original name was Edward Bear—and he shares this moniker with author A.A. Milne's son's own childhood teddy bear.
11 | Peppermint Patty — Patricia Reichardt
ShutterstockPeanuts's favorite tough girl character is typically referred to as Peppermint Patty. However, that's just a nickname. The comic strip character's real name is actually Patricia Reichardt.
12 | Alf — Gordon Shumway
IMDB/Alien ProductionsThe 1980s sitcom Alf brought the lovable, smart-mouthed creature of the title to television screens everywhere. But did you know his name isn't actually Alf? That's just an acronym that stands for "alien life form"; the character's name is actually Gordon Shumway.
13 | Guy Smiley — Bernie Liederkrantz
YouTube/Sesame StreetGuy Smiley, America's favorite game show host from Sesame Street, actually has real name. During a tongue-in-cheek joke sketch, the character revealed his birth name to Count von Count. He said, "They call me Guy Smiley because I changed my name from Bernie Liederkrantz." Fair enough!
14 | Cookie Monster — Sid
ShutterstockSesame Street's cookie-loving monster wasn't always known for his love of sweet treats. In fact, a 2004 episode of the show revealed that before he was called the Cookie Monster, he was just known as Sid.
15 | Mr. Snuffleupagus — Aloysius Snuffleupagus
Sesame WorkshopIt's hard enough to say Snuffleupagus's name as we know it, let alone complicating matters by giving him a first name. But according to the Sesame Workshop themselves, the wooly mammoth puppet who's Big Bird's best friend does have one—and it's Aloysius. Of course.
16 | The Pillsbury Doughboy — Poppin' Fresh
ShutterstockThe adorable Pillsbury Doughboy has a real name: Poppin' Fresh. An advertising agent for Pillsbury gave the character his name as a nod to the company's fresh quality. What's more, Poppin' Fresh even has an entire family: a wife named Poppie Fresh, a son named Popper, and a daughter called Bun-Bun. Aww!
17 | The Operation Guy — Cavity Sam
ShutterstockWhile the patient featured on the Operation game board is often just referred to as "the Operation guy," he actually has a name! Yes, if you read the game's instruction manual, it actually refers to the nervous fellow as Cavity Sam.
18 | Jughead Jones — Forsythe P. Jones III
Archie ComicsThe Archie Comics introduced us to the lovable (and always hungry) character that is Jughead. But in a world full of Bettys, Veronicas, and Archies, fear not; his parents didn't actually name him Jughead. Rather, the character's full name is Forsythe P. Jones III, and he simply prefers to go by his nickname.
19 | Mr. Clean — Veritably Clean
ShutterstockWhen the face of the Mr. Clean products was first introduced in 1958, he actually wasn't given a first name. However, in 1962, the company ran a competition to give the cleaning mascot one. The winner? "Veritably." So there you have it: Mr. Clean's full name is Veritably Clean.
20 | Comic Book Guy — Jeff Albertson
IMDB/20th Century FoxThough the sarcastic comic book store owner from The Simpsons is best known as the "Comic Book Guy," he's actually got a name: Jeff Albertson.
But, according to creator Matt Groening, that wasn't even the original idea. He told MTV that he originally wanted the character's name to be "Louis Lane," thus making him obsessed and tormented by "Lois Lane."
21 | The Michelin Man — Bibendum
ShutterstockThis mushy tire mascot is the beloved face of French tire company Michelin. But while he's widely known as the "Michelin Man," his real name is actually Bibendum—or Bib for short!
22 | The Pringles Guy — Julius Pringles
ShutterstockNext time you snack on some Pringles, take a closer look at the mustachioed man on the front of the can. This little guy was given a name in 1986—and it's Julius Pringles.
23 | Mrs. Butterworth — Joy Butterworth
ShutterstockWhen Mrs. Butterworth was first created, she wasn't given a first name. However, thanks to a 2009 marketing campaign, she was given the first name of Joy—which makes sense when you think about how you feel when you eat a syrup-soaked stack of pancakes. And for more original names, check out these 25 Hilarious First Names for Your Favorite Brands.
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