# Middle names of TV's "Friends" characters **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 13, 2005, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-names-of-tvs-friends-characters/326129 "2005-10-13T21:44:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-names-of-tvs-friends-characters/326129/1 "2005-10-13T21:44:49Z")
OK, so we’ve got siblings Ross and Monica Geller, and Rachel Green, Phoebe Buffay, Chandler Bing and Joey Tribbiani. Were middle names ever established on the show for any of them? If not, what do you think they SHOULD be? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-names-of-tvs-friends-characters/326129/2 "2005-10-13T21:54:42Z")
We know four of the six: Rachel Karen Green Joseph Francis Tribbiani Jr Chandler Muriel Bing Ross Eustace Geller We also know Monica’s middle initial: E. (She bought the stock with symbol MEG because it was her initials). Phoebe Buffay claims that never knew her middle name. She had never seen her birth certificate – her twin sister sold it to a Swedish girl to let her claim citizenship. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-names-of-tvs-friends-characters/326129/3 "2005-10-13T21:57:29Z")
And that’s kind of silly, because if Phoebe was born in NYC, she could get another birth certificate for a couple bucks down at city hall. Although it does explain why Phoebe never got a passport and flew to England… ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-names-of-tvs-friends-characters/326129/4 "2005-10-13T22:02:04Z")
And in _The One with the Race Car Bed_, Phoebe pretends to be Monica to sign for receipt of the bed, and signs “Monica Fallulah Gellar.” Fallulah, like “Regina Phalangee” is a favorite go-to fake name for Phoebe, and should not be considered as having anything to do with Monica’s real name. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-names-of-tvs-friends-characters/326129/5 "2005-10-13T23:30:37Z")
Tv, movies, etc, belong in Cafe Society. MOved from GQ. **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-names-of-tvs-friends-characters/326129/6 "2005-10-14T00:00:32Z")
**Bricker** , this is the second _Friends_ trivia I’ve read this week, and I’ve gotta say that that’s _uncanny_. If I ever need sitcom related legal advice, you are my first call. ---
**Author:** ![loura45](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/47e85d/32.png) [@loura45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/loura45)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-names-of-tvs-friends-characters/326129/7 "2005-10-14T00:04:05Z")
Haha. Chandler’s middle name is Muriel. I remember the episode when they found out his middle name… It was hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-names-of-tvs-friends-characters/326129/8 "2005-10-14T03:34:14Z")
> [@Barbarian](#): > > And that’s kind of silly, because if Phoebe was born in NYC, she could get another birth certificate for a couple bucks down at city hall. > > Although it does explain why Phoebe never got a passport and flew to England… Phoebe didn’t go to England because she was in her third trimester with Frank & Alice’s triplets. And at the end of the show her name was Phoebe Buffay-Hanigan (after a brief stint as Princess Consuela Bannahammock). ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-names-of-tvs-friends-characters/326129/9 "2005-10-14T04:06:23Z")
I don’t usually bother correcting typos, but Phoebe’s name needs to be seen in all its true glory - it was Princess Consuela **Banana** hammock for a little while. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-names-of-tvs-friends-characters/326129/10 "2005-10-14T04:46:00Z")
Somewhat off-topic - considering that Chandler’s parents are Morgan Fairchilde and a female impersonator who looks uncannily like Kathleen Turner, shouldn’t he be a more handsome guy? ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-names-of-tvs-friends-characters/326129/11 "2005-10-14T15:32:24Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Phoebe didn’t go to England because she was in her third trimester with Frank & Alice’s triplets. And at the end of the show her name was Phoebe Buffay-Hanigan (after a brief stint as Princess Consuela Bannahammock). Excuses excuses 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-names-of-tvs-friends-characters/326129/12 "2005-10-14T16:05:01Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > And in _The One with the Race Car Bed_, Phoebe pretends to be Monica to sign for receipt of the bed, and signs “Monica Fallulah Gellar.” Fallulah, like “Regina Phalangee” is a favorite go-to fake name for Phoebe, and should not be considered as having anything to do with Monica’s real name. That’s **Phalange** , which is a finger bone. Kind of a high-falutin’ word considering Phoebe’s background on the streets, but then again she is a masseuse. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-names-of-tvs-friends-characters/326129/13 "2005-10-14T17:16:15Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Somewhat off-topic - considering that Chandler’s parents are Morgan Fairchilde and a female impersonator who looks uncannily like Kathleen Turner, shouldn’t he be a more handsome guy? 1. Morgan Fairchild is hardly good looking. 2. Given the characteristic personalities of both parents, one has to consider the possibility that “Kathleen Turner” isn’t Chandler’s biological father. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-names-of-tvs-friends-characters/326129/14 "2005-10-14T17:43:34Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > 1. Morgan Fairchild is hardly good looking. > \ I don’t want to step on your opinion, but Morgan Fairchild was one of the most beautiful women in show biz in her day. She may not be everyone’s taste, but as humans measure good looks, she qualifies. ---
**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:** [October 14, 2005, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-names-of-tvs-friends-characters/326129/15 "2005-10-14T17:49:50Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > We know four of the six: > > Rachel Karen Green > Joseph Francis Tribbiani Jr > Chandler Muriel Bing > Ross Eustace Geller > > We also know Monica’s middle initial: E. (She bought the stock with symbol MEG because it was her initials). > > Phoebe Buffay claims that never knew her middle name. She had never seen her birth certificate – her twin sister sold it to a Swedish girl to let her claim citizenship. nine minutes between when the question was asked and you answer. I am so impressed. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-names-of-tvs-friends-characters/326129/16 "2005-10-14T18:41:12Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > I don’t want to step on your opinion, but Morgan Fairchild was one of the most beautiful women in show biz in her day. And she’s my wife. Yeah. That’s the ticket. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-names-of-tvs-friends-characters/326129/17 "2005-10-14T19:38:26Z")
> [@iamthewalrus(:3=](#): > > **Bricker** , this is the second _Friends_ trivia I’ve read this week, and I’ve gotta say that that’s _uncanny_. If I ever need sitcom related legal advice, you are my first call. > [@whole bean](#): > > nine minutes between when the question was asked and you answer. I am so impressed. Everyone’s got a gift. Mine is trivia. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-names-of-tvs-friends-characters/326129/18 "2005-10-14T19:46:31Z")
I knew of three, but where did Ross’s middle name get mentioned? It doesn’t seem familiar and I’ve seen every episode. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-names-of-tvs-friends-characters/326129/19 "2005-10-14T20:04:05Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > And she’s my wife. > > Yeah. That’s the ticket. Have you seen her naked? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-names-of-tvs-friends-characters/326129/20 "2005-10-14T20:05:43Z")
> [@middleman](#): > > I knew of three, but where did Ross’s middle name get mentioned? It doesn’t seem familiar and I’ve seen every episode. Another victim of syndication. Monica sneeringly calls Ross by his full name in “The One With the Football” during their first fight, prior to the revelation that she had saved the Geller Bowl trophy (the troll) from the lake. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-names-of-tvs-friends-characters/326129.md?page=2)