# Are the muppets the reason names like Kermit and Grover have become archaic?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [April 12, 2026, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219 "2026-04-12T15:40:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 9

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**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219/161 "2026-07-28T21:36:12Z")

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> [@saucywench](#):
>
> He said that the name Grover kind of disappeared, and that there was only Grover Cleveland and Grover from _Sesame Street_.

A joke, of course, and it certainly isn’t a common name (it looked like it peaked in popularity during Cleveland’s presidency) but a couple of more modern-day Grovers whom I can think of off the top of my head:

- [Grover Norquist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grover_Norquist), a fairly prominent anti-tax political activist.
- [Grover Washington Jr.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grover_Washington_Jr.), a prominent jazz saxophonist, who had a hit with Bill Withers on the song “Just the Two of Us.”

That said, both men were born 70+ years ago, soooo…

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**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219/162 "2026-07-28T23:37:20Z")

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Grover Washington Jr. sounds familiar.

Not a real person, but on the Cedric the Entertainer show _The Neighborhood,_ the little boy next door was named Grover. I wonder who came up with that name for a little kid in this day and age?

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [July 29, 2026, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219/163 "2026-07-29T00:46:03Z")

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I was in school with a Grover, but he was a junior named after his dad. His dad’s dad was just a kid during the Cleveland administrations, so I wouldn’t think it was out of admiration of the president.

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