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This is a list of characters from animated cartoon, comic books, webcomics and comic strips who are named after people.
Characters named after famous people
editA
edit- Mayor Adam West in Family Guy, who is also dubbed by Adam West.[1]
- Alexander Lemming from The Beano – Scottish chemist Alexander Fleming [citation needed].
- Alexander Owlcott, a character in The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos – Alexander Woolcott [citation needed].
- Alister from the anime Yu-Gi-Oh! was named after Aleister Crowley[citation needed] in the dub version (the character's original name is Amelda).
- Alvida of the anime and manga series One Piece gets her name from the female pirate Awilda[citation needed]
- Ann-Margrock, a Flintstones character – Ann-Margret[2][3]
- Apu Nahasapeemapetilon (The Simpsons) is named after Apu, the title character in The Apu trilogy.[4]
- Archimedes the owl (The Sword and the Stone) is named after ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes.
- Arnie Pie from The Simpsons – Ernie Pyle [citation needed].
- Arpine Lusène – Arsène Lupin, a fictional character from Maurice Leblanc.
- Ax-hand Morgan of the anime and manga series One Piece gets his surname from Henry Morgan, a Welsh privateer who made a name in the Caribbean as a leader of buccaneers.
- Attila the dog – (Belgian comic strip Attila[5]) is named after Attila the Hun.
- Attila the dog – (Los Trotamúsicos) is named after Attila the Hun.
B
edit- Babbitt and Catstello, characters in A Tale of Two Kitties – Comedians Abbott and Costello.
- Baby Crockett, from The Beezer comic – Frontiersman Davy Crockett.
- Baby Face Finlayson, from The Beano comic – Criminal Baby Face Nelson.
- Bakelandt (from the Belgian comic series Bakelandt) is named after 18th-century criminal Ludovicus Baekelandt.[6]
- Professor Barabas – (Suske en Wiske) – Barabbas, the biblical thief.[7]
- Barbe Rouge (English name: Redbeard) is named after real-life pirate Hayreddin Barbarossa, who also had the nickname Redbeard.
- Barney Gumble – (The Simpsons) was named after The Flintstones character Barney Rubble.
- Bartholomew Kuma from the anime and manga series One Piece is named after Welsh pirate Bartholomew Roberts.
- Basil Hawkins from the anime and manga series One Piece is named after both English Admiral Sir John Hawkins and English Doctor Basil Ringrose.
- Bellamy the Hyena from the anime and manga series One Piece is named after Samuel Bellamy, a formidable pirate in the early eighteenth century.
- Betty Savis, a character in She Was an Acrobat's Daughter – Bette Davis.
- Bing Crowsby, in The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos – Singer Bing Crosby.
- Bogey Go Cart, a character in Bacall to Arms – Hollywood actor Humphrey Bogart.
- Brutus (The Rescuers) is named after Roman senator Brutus.
- Bunny and Claude, villains from the Warner Bros.-Seven Arts era of Looney Tunes, are named after the notorious criminal couple, Bonnie & Clyde.
- Butch and Cassidy, villains from Pokémon – Criminal Butch Cassidy.
- Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story – Astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
C
edit- Calamity James from The Beano comic – Calamity Jane.
- Calamity Jane from Lucky Luke – Frontierswoman Calamity Jane.
- Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes – John Calvin, 16th century theologian.[8]
- Markies de Canteclaer – (Tom Poes) is named after Canteclaer the rooster from Reynard the Fox.
- Capone Bege from the anime and manga series One Piece is named after Al Capone and William le Sauvage.
- Cary Granite, a Flintstones character – Hollywood actor Cary Grant.
- Casey Strangle, a Flintstones character – Casey Stengel.
- Cecil Crumey from Code Geass – Novelist Andrew Crumey.
- Char Aznable (Mobile Suit Gundam through Char's Counterattack). Rumored to be named after French lounge singer Charles Aznavour.
- Chilly Willy – Actor Chill Wills.
- Chuck, from Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters – Hollywood actor Chuck Norris.
- Clark Gravel, a Flintstones – Hollywood actor Clark Gable.
- Clint, from Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters – Hollywood actor Clint Eastwood.
- Clo-Clo Pheip (The Adventures of Nero), named after the French singer Claude François, who was nicknamed Clo-Clo.[9]
- Cupidon, named after the Greek-Roman mythological character Cupid.
D
edit- The Daltons (Lucky Luke) are named after the real-life 19th-century Dalton Gang.[10]
- Darwin Watterson, from The Amazing World of Gumball – Biologist Charles Darwin.
- Dewey, one of "Huey, Dewey and Louie" – U.S. politician Thomas Dewey.
- Dick Fowl, a character in The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos – Dick Powell.
- Dina Saur from Beany and Cecil. A singing dinosaur named after singer Dinah Shore.
- Dio Brando is named after both Ronnie James Dio and Marlon Brando.
- Dole Promise, a character from She Was an Acrobat's Daughter – Lowell Thomas.
- Donatello, the second youngest of the ninja turtle brothers from TMNT – the Italian Renaissance artist and sculptor, Donatello.
- Donquixote Doflamingo from the anime and manga series One Piece is named after the a character from Spanish film of the same name Don Quixote.
- X. Drake from the anime and manga series One Piece is named after the famous English naval Vice Adm. Francis Drake, who was known as a pirate the Spanish.
- Duck Dodgers, played by Daffy Duck, was named after famous character Buck Rogers.
- Duckula, named after Dracula.
- Dumbo is named after 19th-century circus elephant Jumbo.
E
edit- Ed G. Robemsome, a character in Thugs with Dirty Mugs – Edward G. Robinson.
- Egroeg Sacul, Star Tours at the Disney's Hollywood Studios, named after Star Wars creator George Lucas. Egroeg Sacul is George Lucas spelled backwards.
- Empoleon from Pokémon – French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.
- Eustass Kid from the anime and manga series One Piece is named after the mercenary Eustace the Monk and the Scottish privateer William Kid.
F
edit- Fats Swallow, a character in The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos – Jazz musician Fats Waller.
- Foghorn Leghorn, Warner Brothers cartoons – Senator Claghorn, regular character on The Fred Allen Show.
- Francesca Lucchini from the anime Strike Witches, named after Italian World War 2 fighter pilot Franco Lucchini.
- Frankie Stein, from the Wham!, Shiver and Shake, Whoopee! and Monster Fun comics. – Frankenstein.
- Fred Bonaparte, from the game Psychonauts – his apparent ancestor, Napoleon Bonaparte.
- Fred McFurry, a character in The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos – Fred MacMurray.
G
edit- Gloria Von Gouten, from the game Psychonauts, named after the famous actor, Gloria Swanson.
- Goddard, the robot dog of Jimmy Neutron, is named for rocket scientist Robert Goddard.
H
edit- Hamlet – (Hagar the Horrible) is named after Shakespearean character Hamlet.
- Helga G. Pataki of "Hey Arnold!", named after former governor George Pataki.
- Huey Freeman from The Boondocks is named after Huey P. Newton
- Huey, one of "Huey, Dewey and Louie" – Huey Pierce Long, American politician.
- Hitmonlee from Pokémon – Bruce Lee, martial artist
- Hitmonchan from Pokémon – Jackie Chan, martial artist
- Hobbes from Calvin and Hobbes – Thomas Hobbes, 17th century philosopher.[11]
- Hohenheim of Light, from Fullmetal Alchemist – Paracelsus, sixteenth-century alchemist, whose real name was Theophrastus Van Hohenheim
- Hubert Farnsworth from Futurama – Inventor Philo Farnsworth
- Huckleberry Hound – Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
I
edit- Iago from Aladdin – Iago, William Shakespeare's play Othello.
- Ivy the Terrible – Russian czar Ivan the Terrible.
J
edit- Jack Bunny, a character in I Love to Singa – Jack Benny.
- Jackie, from Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters comic book – Martial artist Jackie Chan.
- James Isaac Neutron from The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius – Isaac Newton, English scientist, and James Chadwick, who was nicknamed "Jimmy Neutron".
- Jeffy Dahmer, of The Ringer – Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.
- Jerom, of Suske en Wiske – Jeroom Verten – Belgian playwright.[12]
- Jessie and James, villains from Pokémon named after outlaw Jesse James.
- Jewelry Bonney from the anime and manga series One Piece is named after female pirate Anne Bonny.
- Jimmy Darrock, a Flintstones character – singer James Darren.
- John D. Rockerduck – Billionnaire John D. Rockefeller.
- Jules and Verne, the sons of Doctor Emmett Brown in Back to the Future: The Animated Series, are named after Jules Verne.
K
edit- Kangaskhan from some Western localizations of Pokémon – Genghis Khan, the Mongol Emperor
- The Koopalings are named after musicians.
L
edit- Lafayette (The Aristocats) is named after the French military officer Marquis de Lafayette.
- Laffite from the anime and manga series One Piece is named after French pirate Jean Lafitte.
- Lapras from Pokémon – Mathematician Pierre-Simon Laplace.
- Laurie Be Cool, a character in Bacall to Arms – Hollywood actress Lauren Bacall.
- Léonard the inventor is named after Italian scientist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci.
- Leonardo, the oldest of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – the great Italian Renaissance artist and scientist, Leonardo da Vinci
- Leo Ferocious, a Flintstones character – Baseball player Leo Durocher.
- Lester Coward, a character in She Was an Acrobat's Daughter – Actor Leslie Howard.
- Little Annie Fanny is named after comic character Little Annie Rooney.[13]
- Louis the Alligator (The Princess and the Frog) is named after Louis Armstrong.
- Ludvig from Hey Arnold! – Composer Ludwig van Beethoven
- Ludwig Von Drake – Composer Ludwig van Beethoven.
M
edit- Marge Simpson (born Marge Bouvier) – Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, former First Lady of the United States, widow to John F. Kennedy and Aristotle Onassis.
- Marshall D. Teach, Thatch, and Edward Newgate from the anime and manga series One Piece are named after Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, who was a notorious English pirate in the Caribbean Sea and western Atlantic during the early 18th century.
- Dr. Marvin Monroe (The Simpsons) is named after Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe.
- Madame Medusa (The Rescuers) is named after Greek mythological character Medusa.
- Michelangelo, the youngest of the ninja turtle brothers from TMNT – the great Italian Renaissance artist and sculptor, Michelangelo Buonarroti.
- Milhouse Van Houten, a character on The Simpsons – Richard Milhous Nixon[14]. Milhouse's middle name Mussolini is based on Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.
- Milton Squirrel, in The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos – Comedian Milton Berle.
- Morlocks – in Marvel Comics, a group of mutants naming themselves after the futuristic race in H. G. Wells' The Time Machine
N
edit- Nabuko Donosor (Urbanus) is named after Nebuchadnezzar II.[15]
- Napoleon (The Aristocrats) is named after Napoleon Bonaparte.
- Nebby K. Nezzer from Veggie Tales is named after Nebuchadnezzar.
- Nemo from the movie Finding Nemo – Captain Nemo, fictional character in Jules Verne's novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas and The Mysterious Island.
- Nero – Nero, Belgian comic character by Marc Sleen is named after the Roman emperor Nero.[16]
- Nero (The Rescuers) is named after Roman emperor Nero.
- Nina Einstein from Code Geass – Albert Einstein.
O
edit- Olga Lawina (Agent 327) is named after Dutch singer Olga Lowina.[17]
- Oscar from Cerebus – named after poet and playwright Oscar Wilde.
- Owl Jolson, a character in I Love to Singa – Al Jolson.
P
edit- Pepé Le Pew, French skunk in Warner Brothers cartoons – Pepe le Moko, fictional character from the novel and movies of the same name.
- Philip J. Fry, from Futurama – Phil Hartman, voice actor.
- Pluto, named after the dwarf planet Pluto, in itself named after Greek-Roman mythological character Pluto.
R
edit- Raphael, the second oldest of the ninja turtle brothers from TMNT, was named after the Italian Renaissance artist and sculptor, Raphael Sanzio.
- Rasputin (Inspector Canardo) is named after Rasputin.[18]
- Richard the Lion, from The Beano comic – English king Richard the Lionheart.
- Rip Van Wink, from The Beano comic – Literary character Rip van Winkle.
- Rock Lee from Naruto is named after martial artist Bruce Lee.
- Rock Quarry – Flintstones character named after actor Rock Hudson.
- Roronoa Zoro from the anime and manga series One Piece is named after French pirate François l'Olonnais and fictional hero/vigilante Zorro.
- Rubberduck, comic book character from Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew, is the secret identity of actor Byrd Rentals, named after Burt Reynolds.
S
edit- Scrooge McDuck – Ebenezer Scrooge, fictional character in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol
- Seymour Skinner (The Simpsons) is named after psychologist B.F. Skinner.
- Sigmund (Dutch comics character) – Sigmund Freud, Austrian psychiatrist.[19]
- Sophie Turkey, a character in The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos – Sophie Tucker.
- Stony Curtis, a Flintstones character – Hollywood actor Tony Curtis.
- Sweeny Toddler, from the Shiver and Shake, Whoopee! and Buster comics – Literary character Sweeney Todd.
T
edit- Thor (Marvel character) is named after the Norse god Thor.
- Tony Zucco – Rumored to be named after the actor George Zucco.
- Trafalgar Law from the anime and manga series One Piece's last name Law is based on notorious English pirate Edward Low. His first name is from the Battle of Trafalgar.
- Troy McClure from The Simpsons – Actors Troy Donahue and Doug McClure.
- Tycho Brahe, from Penny Arcade – Tycho Brahe, sixteenth-century astronomer.
V
edit- Victor and Hugo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Disney film) – Victor Hugo, author of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
- Victor and Hugo, the Cosgrove Hall Films characters, are also named after the author.
- Virginia Wolfe, the mother of Heffer in Rocko's Modern Life, is named after the British author Virginia Woolf.
W
edit- W.C. Fieldmouse – Hollywood comedian W.C. Fields.
- Wolfgang from Hey Arnold! – Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
- Woodhouse, the butler from Archer, is named after British author P.G. Wodehouse, who created the famous fictional butler, Jeeves.
- Woody from Toy Story – American football player and actor Woody Strode.
Y
edit- Yankee Poodle, comic book character from Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew, is the secret identity of Rova Barkitt, named after gossip columnist Rona Barrett.
- Yensid, from Fantasia, after Walt Disney. Yensid is Disney spelled backwards.
- Yogi Bear – Baseball player Yogi Berra.
Z
edit- Zippy the Pinhead is named after real-life sideshow artist Zip the Pinhead.
- Zorry Kid is named after masked avenger Zorro.
Characters named after non-famous people
edit- Bugs Bunny from Looney Tunes – Ben "Bugs" Hardaway, storyboard artist.
- Chang Chong-Chen – (The Adventures of Tintin) is named after a friend of Hergé, Zhang Chongren.
- Homer Simpson, Marge Simpson, Lisa Simpson and Maggie Simpson of The Simpsons are named after the family members of creator Matt Groening: his father Homer, his mother Marge and his sisters Lisa and Maggie.[20]
- Garfield is named after Jim Davis's grandfather, James Garfield Davis (who is named after James Abram Garfield).[21]
- Jeff Fischer, from American Dad! is named after Seth MacFarlane's good friend with the same name.
- Louie, one of "Huey, Dewey and Louie" – Louie Schmitt, animator
- Alvin, Simon, and Theodore (The Chipmunks), are named after the executives of their original record label, Liberty Records: Alvin Bennett (the president), Theodore Keep (the chief engineer), and Simon Waronker (the founder and owner).
- Timmy Turner from The Fairly OddParents – Timmy Hartman (younger brother of Butch Hartman)
- Charlie Brown and Linus, from Peanuts, were named after friends of Charles Schulz from Art Instruction Inc., where Schulz taught before and at the beginning of his cartoon career.
- Cree Lincoln, from Codename: Kids Next Door, is named after her voice actress, Cree Summer.
- Lois Lane, from the Superman comics, is named after Lois Amster, a girl that Jerry Siegel had a crush on.
- Bullwinkle J. Moose is named after Clarence Bullwinkel, a friend of Jay Ward and Alex Anderson, who created Bullwinkle. The J in his name is for his creator Jay Ward, as the J in Homer Simpson's middle name was Matt Groening's way of honoring Jay Ward.
- Pocoyo, the main protagonist of the TV show "Pocoyo", named after his three-year-old daughter used it in her nightly prayers saying "Eres niño poco yo" ("You're a child little me") instead of "Eres niño como yo ("You're a child like me").
- Super Zia (from Toothpique Productions' series of the same title) is named after the actor playing him, a friend of the director's, Ziauddin Md. Nasrullah.
- Erfaan a.k.a. Mr. 85 (from Toothpique Productions' Super Zia) is named after a friend of the director's girlfriend.
- Shinji Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion is named after Shinji Higuchi, head of Gainax, the animation studio of Evangelion.
- Kirby is named after lawyer John Kirby, who defended Nintendo in the Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd. case in 1984.
- Porky Pig from Looney Tunes is named two childhood classmates of creator Friz Freleng, nicknamed "Porky" and "Piggy".
- Mario is named after Nintendo of America's warehouse landlord Mario Segale.
- The American Dennis the Menace is named after the comic strip creator Hank Ketcham's son Dennis Ketcham, whom the artist's wife once called "a menace".[22][23]
- Eek! the Cat was named after one of co-creator Savage Steve Holland's deceased pet cats.
References
edit- ^ Rabin, Nathan (26 January 2006). "Seth MacFarlane". The A.V. Club. Onion, Inc. Archived from the original on 28 March 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
- ^ "Today's Channel Check". The Cincinnati Enquirer. 23 September 1963. p. 39. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- ^ Westhoff, Jeffrey (28 April 2000). "'Rock' on". Northwest Herald. Woodstock, Illinois. p. 81. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- ^ "'Simpsons' Creator Says Apu is Actually a Tribute to the 'Greatest Films' Ever". 21 July 2018.
- ^ "Derib".
- ^ "Hec Leemans".
- ^ Van Hooydonck, Peter, "Willy Vandersteen: De Bruegel van het Beeldverhaal", Standaard Uitgeverij, 1995.
- ^ "Bill Watterson".
- ^ "Marc Sleen".
- ^ "Morris".
- ^ "Bill Watterson".
- ^ VAN HOOYDONCK, Peter, Willy Vandersteen: De Bruegel van het Beeldverhaal, Standaard Uitgeverij, Antwerpen, 1994
- ^ "Harvey Kurtzman".
- ^ Rhodes, Joe (2000-10-21). "Flash! 24 Simpsons Stars Reveal Themselves". TV Guide.
- ^ "Willy Linthout".
- ^ "Marc Sleen".
- ^ "Martin Lodewijk".
- ^ "Benoît Sokal".
- ^ "Peter de Wit".
- ^ See the "Family" section of "Matt Groening Profile Archived 2008-06-17 at the Wayback Machine", E!.
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20090214062806/http://archives.cnn.com/2000/fyi/student.bureau/10/24/jim.davis/
- ^ Weinraub, Judith (5 May 1990). "Dennis's Dear Old Dad". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014.
- ^ Van Gelder, Lawrence (2 June 2001). "Hank Ketcham, Father of Dennis the Menace, Dies at 81". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 September 2007.