# Non-Star Wars Skywalker Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 1, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-star-wars-skywalker-question/498428 "2009-06-01T23:52:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-star-wars-skywalker-question/498428/1 "2009-06-01T23:52:01Z")
NOTE TO MODS–This Thread is not about Star Wars. Does anybody in real life carry the name Skywalker? Has any family in RL carried the name Skywalker, pre-Star Wars? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-star-wars-skywalker-question/498428/2 "2009-06-02T00:15:02Z")
Lucas made it up. The hero was originally going to be called Annakin Starkiller, which he also made up. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-star-wars-skywalker-question/498428/3 "2009-06-02T00:19:16Z")
[Anywho.com](http://whitepages.anywho.com/results.php?ReportType=34&refer=2938&adword=ANYWHO.COM&qi=0&qk=10&qn=Skywalker&PHPSESSID=e3654cc535655ae20570efb960b758cd) (a nationwide collection of White Pages maintained by AT&T) lists 29 Skywalkers in the US. Although most are listed as Luke Skywalker, so take it with a grain of salt. ---
**Author:** ![Zagalejo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Zagalejo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagalejo)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-star-wars-skywalker-question/498428/4 "2009-06-02T00:53:40Z")
[Here’s](http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4191/is_20090112/ai_n31362771/) a death notice for someone named Carla L. Skywalker. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-star-wars-skywalker-question/498428/5 "2009-06-02T01:04:04Z")
> [@Zagalejo](#): > > [Here’s](http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4191/is_20090112/ai_n31362771/) a death notice for someone named Carla L. Skywalker. According to the [Social Security Death Index](http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/), she’s the only Skywalker to die since they’ve been keeping records. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-star-wars-skywalker-question/498428/6 "2009-06-02T01:14:39Z")
There’s nothing preventing Star Wars geeks from taking the lastname. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-star-wars-skywalker-question/498428/7 "2009-06-02T01:22:54Z")
When I worked at a library in Michigan, I had a person named Luke Skywalker get a new library card. I assume that the name had been changed. They had proof of identification(driver’s license) and everything. He had a kid, too. Scott, I think. Scott Skywalker. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-star-wars-skywalker-question/498428/8 "2009-06-02T02:29:47Z")
Quatermass is however a real surname, as is Blackadder. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-star-wars-skywalker-question/498428/9 "2009-06-02T13:54:15Z")
“Skywalker” seems to pop up a few times pre-_Star Wars_; there was a biographical novel about [this guy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Howard_Payne) titled _John Howard Payne, Skywalker_, pubished in 1953; and there’s [this reference](http://books.google.com/books?id=sn90AAAAMAAJ&q=Skywalker&dq=Skywalker&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=1&as_maxy_is=1974&as_brr=0&pgis=1) from a few years before the movie came out to an American Indian whose name (Mamanti) can apparently be translated as “Sky Walker” or “Skywalker”. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-star-wars-skywalker-question/498428/10 "2009-06-02T14:11:12Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > When I worked at a library in Michigan, I had a person named Luke Skywalker get a new library card. I assume that the name had been changed. They had proof of identification(driver’s license) and everything. > > He had a kid, too. Scott, I think. Scott Skywalker. So, unlike his namesake, we have evidence he is no longer a virgin? Actually, since you never collected a DNA sample from your patron and his supposed progeny and ran a comparison… ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-star-wars-skywalker-question/498428/11 "2009-06-02T14:18:46Z")
And I gotta say, Skywalker is so much more evocative than Starkiller. And much more apropos for the character. Lucas got a lot of things right. At least back in the 70’s. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-star-wars-skywalker-question/498428/12 "2009-06-02T15:16:40Z")
A local radio station paid someone to legally change her name to Obi Wan Kenobi. She filed all the legal papers and got $2000 or so. I don’t know if she changed it back later or not. This was in 1999 when Episode I came out. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-star-wars-skywalker-question/498428/13 "2009-06-02T16:41:59Z")
> [@Stan\_Shmenge](#): > > And I gotta say, Skywalker is so much more evocative than Starkiller. And much more apropos for the character. Lucas got a lot of things right. At least back in the 70’s. 😉 It was awfully handy for Interplay, too, since the first Kilrathi ace in _Wing Commander_ was named Bhurak Starkiller. Well, in the SNES version, but I assume he was in the PC ones too. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-star-wars-skywalker-question/498428/14 "2009-06-02T18:44:19Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > NOTE TO MODS–This Thread is not about Star Wars. > > Does anybody in real life carry the name Skywalker? > > Has any family in RL carried the name Skywalker, pre-Star Wars? What did I miss? Why is it so important to establish that this is not about Star Wars? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-star-wars-skywalker-question/498428/15 "2009-06-02T18:45:52Z")
> [@Sapo](#): > > What did I miss? Why is it so important to establish that this is not about Star Wars? So it’s not moved to Cafe Society by mistake. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-star-wars-skywalker-question/498428/16 "2009-06-02T18:47:57Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > When I worked at a library in Michigan, I had a person named Luke Skywalker get a new library card. I assume that the name had been changed. They had proof of identification(driver’s license) and everything. > > He had a kid, too. Scott, I think. Scott Skywalker. I’m going to assume that Scott Skywalker will take the opposite path in life from Scott Evil and turn to the Dark Side in rebellion against his father… ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-star-wars-skywalker-question/498428/17 "2009-06-02T19:06:46Z")
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it occurs fewer than 100 times, possibly 0. “Solo” has 747 occurrences, “Yoda” 190, and “Vader” occurs 718 times :eek: [http://www.census.gov/genealogy/www/freqnames2k.html](http://www.census.gov/genealogy/www/freqnames2k.html) > [@Stan\_Shmenge](#): > > So, unlike his namesake, we have evidence he is no longer a virgin? Actually, since you never collected a DNA sample from your patron and his supposed progeny and ran a comparison… If you count “extended universe” stuff, Luke did marry and have a son. > [@jayjay](#): > > I’m going to assume that Scott Skywalker will take the opposite path in life from Scott Evil and turn to the Dark Side in rebellion against his father… It’s actually a family tradition to turn to the Dark Side, or at least struggle with it. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-star-wars-skywalker-question/498428/18 "2009-06-02T19:11:17Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > “Vader” occurs 718 times :eek: That one’s not too surprising, as Vader is Dutch for “Father.” There’s plenty of Dutch with that last name. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-star-wars-skywalker-question/498428/19 "2009-06-02T20:16:58Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Lucas made it up. The hero was originally going to be called Annakin Starkiller, which he also made up. Lucas made nothing up : Sky-walker is one of the many titles/kennings of the Norse god Loki. So, it’s litterally older than steam. Which is not to say Lucas cribbed it off the sagas either, for all I know he may have re-discovered it on his own, after all it’s a pretty cool name/title. Still, in the interest of nitpick.. I mean fighting ignorance, and all that. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-star-wars-skywalker-question/498428/20 "2009-06-02T20:55:58Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Lucas made nothing up : Sky-walker is one of the many titles/kennings of the Norse god Loki. So, it’s litterally older than steam. The English transliteration of a Norse word is veritably older than water vapor? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-star-wars-skywalker-question/498428.md?page=2)