# Pepe is the most international name (amusing google search) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 13, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepe-is-the-most-international-name-amusing-google-search/625033 "2012-06-13T17:19:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepe-is-the-most-international-name-amusing-google-search/625033/1 "2012-06-13T17:19:18Z")
I was googling Pepe (the Portugese/Brazilian football star) and was amused by the first 5 hits. 1. The soccer player (portugese/brazilian) 2. The jeans (London) 3. Pepe Pizzeria napoletana (Connecticut/ Italian) 4. Pepe’s Mexican restaurant (Chicago/Mexican) 5. Pepe le Pew (stereotyped French polecat) I don’t remember the last time I got such a random sampling from Google, but also the fact that the name Pepe seems to be associated with so many different places (not that varied really as they are all derived from southern european roots probably), but I was certainly amused. So any other googling amusements in your day so far? ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepe-is-the-most-international-name-amusing-google-search/625033/2 "2012-06-13T17:48:06Z")
Shout out to all my Pepes! ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepe-is-the-most-international-name-amusing-google-search/625033/3 "2012-06-13T18:28:12Z")
In Spanish, and maybe Portuguese, Pepe is a nickname for José, but I forget how that works. Pépé seems to be a French nickname, and not just for skunks. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepe-is-the-most-international-name-amusing-google-search/625033/4 "2012-06-13T18:35:20Z")
I’ve read that the most common first name in the world is Mohammed. And the most common family name in the world is Chang. Yet I’ve never met anyone named Mohammed Chang. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepe-is-the-most-international-name-amusing-google-search/625033/5 "2012-06-13T19:10:30Z")
The tie-in between José and Pepe is kind of convoluted but here goes: José is the Spanish version of “Joseph” Joseph was the adoptive father of Jesus in the New Testament. Adopted Father translates to “Padre Putativo” in Spanish “Padre Putativo” is shortened to P.P. which is pronounced PePe. (“pay-pay”) Paco is a common nickname for “Francisco” and it has a kind of similar explanation. San Francisco de Asis was commonly referred to as PAter COmunitatis which got truncated to Paco somehow. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepe-is-the-most-international-name-amusing-google-search/625033/6 "2012-06-13T22:28:37Z")
My first cat was named Pepe. I’m still not sure why, because he wasn’t Mexican and neither were we or his original owners. But, there it is. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepe-is-the-most-international-name-amusing-google-search/625033/7 "2012-06-14T07:47:30Z")
> [@Sarabellum1976](#): > > The tie-in between José and Pepe is kind of convoluted but here goes: > > José is the Spanish version of “Joseph” > Joseph was the adoptive father of Jesus in the New Testament. > Adopted Father translates to “Padre Putativo” in Spanish > “Padre Putativo” is shortened to P.P. which is pronounced PePe. (“pay-pay”) > > Paco is a common nickname for “Francisco” and it has a kind of similar explanation. > > San Francisco de Asis was commonly referred to as PAter COmunitatis which got truncated to Paco somehow. Actually Pepe also comes from Latin: Pater Putativus. Both P.P. and [Pa.Co](http://Pa.Co). used to be displayed on their statues (written on books or sashes, or engraved into the base). ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepe-is-the-most-international-name-amusing-google-search/625033/8 "2012-06-14T10:43:12Z")
This is why I like this board. I didn’t even known I didn’t know this until now. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepe-is-the-most-international-name-amusing-google-search/625033/9 "2012-06-15T00:02:33Z")
> [@Sarabellum1976](#): > > The tie-in between José and Pepe is kind of convoluted but here goes: Thanks! I just knew someone would come through with that! Thanks also to Nava for the followup. Now, does Pépé in French have the same origin? And how come no French Pacos? ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepe-is-the-most-international-name-amusing-google-search/625033/10 "2012-06-15T06:51:18Z")
My father is a José and he is called Pepe by some distant relatives. I’ve always thought it was from the Italian version of the name: [Giuseppe](http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuseppe).