# "Andy Griffith Show" question...what was Opie's "real" name? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 18, 2003, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-griffith-show-question-what-was-opies-real-name/176032 "2003-05-18T07:39:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-griffith-show-question-what-was-opies-real-name/176032/1 "2003-05-18T07:39:31Z")
It’s perhaps a silly question, but it’s pretty much covered in the thread title. Well, thanks for your time, Ranchoth (“Wait a second…in the title of “CHiPS,” what did the ‘s’ stand for?”) ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-griffith-show-question-what-was-opies-real-name/176032/2 "2003-05-18T08:00:40Z")
from [www.maybery.com](http://www.maybery.com): > [@](#): > > Q. What was the origin of the name Opie? Was it short for something? > A. Jim Clark once told me that Opie Taylor was most likely named for Opie Cates, a prominent bandleader of the '40s or ‘50s whom Andy Griffith and Sheldon Leonard both admired. I have never figured out if Mr. Cates’ name was short for something else, or if it was really “O.P.” Opie Taylor did spell his name O-P-I-E. It can be seen on the love note he wrote to Miss Crump in “Opie Loves Helen”, and on the board he burned his name into in “Barney’s Sidecar.” --Paul Mulik([paulmulik@getonthe.net](mailto:paulmulik@getonthe.net)) ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-griffith-show-question-what-was-opies-real-name/176032/3 "2003-05-18T08:00:59Z")
I believe that was his name. Slight hijack: In an inteview, Ron Howard (Opie) was talking about how his career after the Andy Griffith Show was taking a dump (before he did American Graffitti) and he was so desperate to earn money, he was seriously considering doing a porno film. The title was going to be, “Opie Gets Laid.” …why do I remember trivia like this, but can’t remember where I left my car keys… ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-griffith-show-question-what-was-opies-real-name/176032/4 "2003-05-18T08:14:43Z")
There are 640 persons with the first name Opie in the Social Security Death Index (almost all of the people in the SSDI died in the period 1962-2003). Opie T. Cates (1909-1987) is among them. ---
**Author:** ![shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-griffith-show-question-what-was-opies-real-name/176032/5 "2003-05-18T14:02:18Z")
Any possibility it’s a male equivalent to Opal? just thinking out loud here… ---
**Author:** ![hermann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b487fb/32.png) [@hermann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hermann)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-griffith-show-question-what-was-opies-real-name/176032/6 "2003-05-18T22:06:07Z")
Hi Opie ---
**Author:** ![SpectBrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@SpectBrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpectBrain)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2003, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-griffith-show-question-what-was-opies-real-name/176032/7 "2003-05-19T00:51:28Z")
Maybe it was his initials like “Original Post” Tayler! ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2003, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-griffith-show-question-what-was-opies-real-name/176032/8 "2003-05-19T00:59:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SpectBrain \* > \*\*Maybe it was his initials like “Original Post” Tayler! \*\* You mean Mayberry had the SDMB?!? Holy cow, it **was** the ideal place to live!!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2003, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-griffith-show-question-what-was-opies-real-name/176032/9 "2003-05-19T01:30:15Z")
Opium ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2003, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-griffith-show-question-what-was-opies-real-name/176032/10 "2003-05-19T02:49:25Z")
It’s just a rural name as far as I know. I had a great uncle named Opie.