# Michael Fred Phelps

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-fred-phelps/459865>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 13, 2008, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-fred-phelps/459865 "2008-08-13T17:15:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-fred-phelps/459865/1 "2008-08-13T17:15:51Z")

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Not Frederick or Fredrick or Winfred - Fred. Fred Phelps. Like, Fred “God hates fags” Phelps. How unfortunately weird.

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**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-fred-phelps/459865/2 "2008-08-13T17:17:00Z")

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Eh, he’s doing a helluva lot to redeem the Phelps name.

I wonder if he’d be willing to change his name to Michael “Aquaman” Phelps?

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**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-fred-phelps/459865/3 "2008-08-13T19:49:31Z")

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That middle name is after his father, who is also named Fred Phelps. Poor guy.

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**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-fred-phelps/459865/4 "2008-08-13T21:00:55Z")

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How do abashed Freds (of any surname) reclaim their name? By enlisting in the \*\*Marching Freds \*\* and showing their pride in Coconut Grove’s annual [King Mango Strut](http://www.kingmangostrut.org/), that’s how!

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**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-fred-phelps/459865/5 "2008-08-14T01:31:55Z")

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Phelps is actually a pretty common surname. Here in Topeka, where the WBC lurks in their compound, there are at least two other families named Phelps, plus a few singletons. The WBC regularly pickets our church and we have a guy named Phelps in the congregation. I never, ever talk about it with him, as I’m sure he’s sick and tired of being asked if he’s related to “those” Phelps.