I read somewhere that Gilligan’s first name was “Willie”. I’ve seen every episode at least twice and I don’t remember them ever revealing Gilligan’s first name. So, I have two questions. Was Gilligan’s first name Willie? What episode was his name revealed in?
BTW: I’ve seen the pilot episode and the cast is sitting around listening to the radio. The announcer comes on and reports the disapearance of the Minnow. The announcer gives everyone’s full name EXCEPT Mrs. Thurston Howell and Gilligan.
PS:If anyone says it was the episode in which the Skipper hits Gilligan with a hat, I’m going to come over to their house and hit them with my hat.
Not surprisingly, Snopes was the first hit of a Google search on “Gilligan first name”.
Follow the link and all will be revealed. For future reference, Google and Snopes are excellent first-line sources for answers questions like this (and should be standard bookmarks in everyone’s browser. I use Google as my start page).
The folks behind the Internet Movie Database even fell for the “Willy” rumor. It’s not there anymore, but somebody got 'em to list a non-existant Gilligan’s Island movie.
Hmm…messed up my link. Should have been http://www.imdb.com.
You mean other than the the real one, Escape from Gilligan’s Island, wherein the Professor uses a piece form a crashed satellite to make an ultra-accurate weather prediction device and forcasts the typhoon which ends up sweeping all of the lashed-together huts back to the mainland?
And wasn’t there a Gilligan’s Island TV movie with the Harlem Globetrotters?
In the Dobie Gillis TV reunion movie from the 80’s, when Maynard G. Krebs is asked where he had been all of these years, he replied that he was on an island somewhere. AFIAK, the G. in Maynard G. Krebs was never explained, so I like to think that the G. could stand for Gilligan, and that the two characters might be one in the same. In fact, perhaps beatnik Maynard’s heavy dope smoking later contributed to Gilligan’s perpetually befuddled state of mind.
Alwyas thought it was Gill…
::avoids gettting hit by fishermen hats::
Yes, someone did indeed con the IMDb into listing a non-existant theatrical Gilligan’s Island movie. The page has since been pulled, but listed someone named Jamie as “Willy Gilligan”, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as “Mary Ann Summers”, and Brian Dennehy as “Jonas Grumby” There was even a release date listed: 1 January 1999. Mr. Dennehy himself has said in a radio interview that such a movie does not, and probably never will, exist. I mentioned this to the site’s administrators which is probably why the page was pulled.
OOoo oo I know this!
The G in Maynard G. Krebs stands for…
Walter.
Yep, Walter. Don’t know how I remember this, or why, but I’m absolutely sure and would bet my chilluns on it. I believe it mighta been mentioned in a couple of the episodes, but it was certainly on a couple of the posters that were put up for the show here in NY.
Bri
His first name was “Buddy”. He was named after his father. To distinguish between the two, people called them “Big Buddy” and “Little Buddy.” 
::::ducking and running:::::
There were three Gilligan TV movies: Escape from Gilligan’s Island, The Castaways of Gilligan’s Island, and The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island.