# Character pairs named after real-life people. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 12, 2018, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-pairs-named-after-real-life-people/814046 "2018-05-12T14:15:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-pairs-named-after-real-life-people/814046/1 "2018-05-12T14:15:21Z")
I’ve always assumed that Sheldon and Leonard from _The Big Bang Theory_ were named for legendary actor/producer Sheldon Leonard. Now, the other day, I was watching an old _Night Gallery_ episode starring famed B-movie tough guy Cameron Mitchell, and it struck me: were Cameron and Mitchell of _Modern Family_ named after him? Q1: Does anyone know if these are real homages, or just coincidences? Q2: Any other examples? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-pairs-named-after-real-life-people/814046/2 "2018-05-12T14:20:54Z")
Dennis the Menace’s neighbors are the Wilsons, George & Martha. ETA: The Big Bang characters were originally named Penny, Lenny & Kenny. The producers thought that was too corny, changed Lenny to Leonard, and yes, changed the third character’s name to Sheldon as an homage. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-pairs-named-after-real-life-people/814046/3 "2018-05-12T14:53:42Z")
I suspect that the Belcher girls in _Bob’s Burgers_ are named after Tina Louise of _Gilligan’s Island_. ETA: George and Gracie, the two whales in _Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home_, were clearly named for George Burns and Gracie Allen. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-pairs-named-after-real-life-people/814046/4 "2018-05-12T15:00:53Z")
Oops, I did it wrong. You seem to want two people named after one real life First/Last name pairing ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-pairs-named-after-real-life-people/814046/5 "2018-05-12T15:03:58Z")
Jessie and James of Pokemon are named for, duh, Jesse James. (Their Japanese counterparts, Kojiro and Musashi, have a slightly different reference behind them - famous rival swordsmen Sasake Kojiro and Miyamoto Musashi.) Their rivals in Team Rocket are named Butch and Cassidy, named for, of course, Butch Cassidy (their Japanese names (Kosaburo and Yamato) are just references to Kojiro and Musashi’s, though). ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-pairs-named-after-real-life-people/814046/6 "2018-05-12T15:08:38Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I’ve always assumed that Sheldon and Leonard from _The Big Bang Theory_ were named for legendary actor/producer Sheldon Leonard. Now, the other day, I was watching an old _Night Gallery_ episode starring famed B-movie tough guy Cameron Mitchell, and it struck me: were Cameron and Mitchell of _Modern Family_ named after him? Also from Modern Family, Phil and Claire’s daughters are named Haley and Alex. That may have been done deliberately as an homage to the author of Roots. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-pairs-named-after-real-life-people/814046/7 "2018-05-12T15:15:16Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I suspect that the Belcher girls in _Bob’s Burgers_ are named after Tina Louise of _Gilligan’s Island_. [maybe not](http://bobs-burgers.wikia.com/wiki/Tina_Belcher) > [@](#): > > Tina was originally a boy named Daniel, named after Dan Mintz. Later on, however, the staff felt like it wouldn’t work, so they changed the sex of the character and gave the character a new name: Tina (though Mintz could still voice Tina as the producers thought that it could pass as an awkward teenage puberty voice). There’s always the Gene/Louise connection (Jean Louise Finch) ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-pairs-named-after-real-life-people/814046/8 "2018-05-12T15:42:35Z")
Brothers Ben and Jerry Horne, from _Twin Peaks_ were named for the ice cream makers. ---
**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 12, 2018, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-pairs-named-after-real-life-people/814046/9 "2018-05-12T15:52:02Z")
Two brothers named Jules and Verne from _Back to the Future III_. Possible disqualifer, though, in that in-story, they were deliberately named after the author by their father. Borderline case: Hans, Kristoff, Anna, and Sven (i.e., “Hans Kristoffannasven,” or “Hans Christian Andersen”) from Disney’s _Frozen_, named in homage to the author of the original story _The Snow Queen_. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-pairs-named-after-real-life-people/814046/10 "2018-05-12T16:41:25Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I’ve always assumed that Sheldon and Leonard from _The Big Bang Theory_ were named for legendary actor/producer Sheldon Leonard. Now, the other day, I was watching an old _Night Gallery_ episode starring famed B-movie tough guy Cameron Mitchell, and it struck me: were Cameron and Mitchell of _Modern Family_ named after him? > > Q1: Does anyone know if these are real homages, or just coincidences? > > Q2: Any other examples? Was that “Green Fingers” with Elsa Lanchester? Creepy. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-pairs-named-after-real-life-people/814046/11 "2018-05-12T17:47:19Z")
As I remember, the eldest daughter on The Cosby Show named her fraternal twins Nelson and Winnie, presumably after Nelson and Winnie Mandela. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-pairs-named-after-real-life-people/814046/12 "2018-05-12T17:51:29Z")
George Burns’ and Walter Matthau’s characters in _The Sunshine Boys_ are named Lewis and Clark. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-pairs-named-after-real-life-people/814046/13 "2018-05-12T18:22:41Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-pairs-named-after-real-life-people/814046/14 "2018-05-12T18:45:20Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I’ve always assumed that Sheldon and Leonard from _The Big Bang Theory_ were named for legendary actor/producer Sheldon Leonard. Now, the other day, I was watching an old _Night Gallery_ episode starring famed B-movie tough guy Cameron Mitchell, and it struck me: were Cameron and Mitchell of _Modern Family_ named after him? > > Q1: Does anyone know if these are real homages, or just coincidences? > > Q2: Any other examples? I’ve never heard of Cameron Mitchell, but in my mind they were getting it from John Cameron Mitchell. He wrote and starred in Hedwig and The Angry Inch as well as Shortbus. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-pairs-named-after-real-life-people/814046/15 "2018-05-12T18:45:44Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Was that “Green Fingers” with Elsa Lanchester? Creepy. No, it was “Finnegan’s Flight” co-starring Burgess Meredith. But CM was indeed in “Green Fingers” too. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-pairs-named-after-real-life-people/814046/16 "2018-05-12T18:57:26Z")
Another one I just ran across today. On Scrubs, Jon Dorian, Chris Turk and Molly Klock (Heather Graham) are named after the medical advisors that helped write the show, Jonathan Doris, Jon Turk, and Dolly Klock. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-pairs-named-after-real-life-people/814046/17 "2018-05-12T18:57:58Z")
In one of The Two Ronnies sketches, there was a line about a stereotypical American couple - “Let’s call them Abner and Lil.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-pairs-named-after-real-life-people/814046/18 "2018-05-12T19:24:45Z")
When Matt Groening created the Simpsons, he named them after his own family: his parents Homer and Marge (Margaret), and his sisters Lisa and Maggie (also Margaret). Bart was an anagram of the word “Brat.” When Grampa Simpson needed a name, he asked the staff writers to come up with one, and they chose “Abraham” – not knowing that was the actual name of Groening’s grandfather! ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-pairs-named-after-real-life-people/814046/19 "2018-05-12T19:28:42Z")
\*\*Superbad: \*\*. Jonah Hill’s character is Seth, and Michael Cera’s character is Evan, after the movie’s scriptwriters Seth Rogen and his childhood buddy and production partner Evan Goldberg. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-pairs-named-after-real-life-people/814046/20 "2018-05-12T20:11:19Z")
In the comic strip “Get Fuzzy”, Bucky the cat is named after Buck O’Neill, and Satchel the dog is named after Satchel Paige. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-pairs-named-after-real-life-people/814046.md?page=2)