# Works in which two different characters have the same name **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 9, 2024, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/works-in-which-two-different-characters-have-the-same-name/1007022 "2024-09-09T17:27:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/works-in-which-two-different-characters-have-the-same-name/1007022/61 "2024-09-10T18:37:15Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > I always liked how one would say something like “with a P as in psychology or pterodactyl” “This is Thomson, without a P, as in ‘Venezuela’!” ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/works-in-which-two-different-characters-have-the-same-name/1007022/62 "2024-09-10T18:39:23Z")
As spoofed in _Love and Death_: > Of course there was Old Gregor and his son Young Gregor. Oddly enough, Young Gregor’s son was older than Old Gregor. Nobody could figure out how that happened. And everytime I asked they’d slap me. ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/works-in-which-two-different-characters-have-the-same-name/1007022/63 "2024-09-10T19:22:27Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > A Song of Ice and Fire has of course multi-generational names, but as contemporaries the Frey family has a very large tree with multiple Walders. Including two named Big Walder and Little Walder (the big one is smaller). I think in the books there are also characters named Asha and Osha, but for the TV adaptation they changed Osha (Greyjoy) to Yara to avoid confusion. ---
**Author:** ![GoodZuckerbergs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba8739/32.png) [@GoodZuckerbergs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodZuckerbergs)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/works-in-which-two-different-characters-have-the-same-name/1007022/64 "2024-09-10T19:29:53Z")
I can’t believe no one has mentioned The Bobs from _Office Space_. It’s a notable example because it’s done completely on purpose and not for any plot reason. It’s done for comedic effect, for subtle naturalistic realism/avant-garde naturalism, etc. One episode of Gilmore Girls has Kirk mention that a relative is bringing over a cat named Kirk to his house (actually, I can’t find a transcript for the episode, so I might be a little off- it’s possible _he_ got a cat named Kirk, or was taking care of someone’s cat that was named Kirk, etc.), so he asks other people to now refer to him as “Human Kirk” to avoid all confusion (the Gilmore Girls then say “Bye, human Kirk!”). ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/works-in-which-two-different-characters-have-the-same-name/1007022/65 "2024-09-10T19:39:30Z")
The Lectroids in Buckaroo Banzai are named John, but they do have different surnames (most famously John Bigbooté) Brian ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/works-in-which-two-different-characters-have-the-same-name/1007022/66 "2024-09-10T20:02:57Z")
> [@GoodZuckerbergs](#): > > I can’t believe no one has mentioned The Bobs from _Office Space_. It’s a notable example because it’s done completely on purpose and not for any plot reason. It’s done for comedic effect, for subtle naturalistic realism/avant-garde naturalism, etc. Good one! And welcome. I wonder if _Office Space_ inspired the backstory on _The Office_ about Dunder Mifflin’s two founders: Robert Dunder and Robert Mifflin. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/works-in-which-two-different-characters-have-the-same-name/1007022/67 "2024-09-10T20:53:11Z")
So this talk of two Tony Sopranos---- I assume that is what The Simpsons were parodying with Fat Tony and his cousin Fit Tony a.k.a. Fit-Fat Tony ,a.k.a. The New and Improved Fat Tony. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/works-in-which-two-different-characters-have-the-same-name/1007022/68 "2024-09-10T22:42:05Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The later Avengers movies had two Peters, Parker (AKA Spider-Man) and Quill (AKA Star-Lord). This is presumably due to them originally being completely separate works that got mashed into each other. See also Captain America’s pal James “Bucky” Barnes (AKA The Winter Soldier) — who never gets mistaken for Iron Man’s pal James ”Rhodey” Rhodes (AKA War Machine). ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/works-in-which-two-different-characters-have-the-same-name/1007022/69 "2024-09-10T23:41:28Z")
Nobody would ever confuse those two. Rhodey is…shorter. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2024, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/works-in-which-two-different-characters-have-the-same-name/1007022/70 "2024-09-11T00:52:48Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Dupont and Dupon **d**. I always liked how one would say something like “with a P as in psychology or pterodactyl” Self faceslap doesn’t even begin to cover it, Dupont/d is the heart of the joke! In my defense, I got distracted failing to get the inline image with the pair in the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2024, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/works-in-which-two-different-characters-have-the-same-name/1007022/71 "2024-09-11T17:37:00Z")
As a (hopefully amusing) aside, I once worked at a place where we had three Marys. ‘Big Mary’, ‘Little Mary’, and ‘Crazy Mary’. ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2024, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/works-in-which-two-different-characters-have-the-same-name/1007022/72 "2024-09-11T18:40:37Z")
The Two Jakes. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2024, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/works-in-which-two-different-characters-have-the-same-name/1007022/73 "2024-09-11T19:52:13Z")
The TV series _New Girl_ had two characters with the first name Winston - but this wasn’t revealed until near the end of the run, as one always used just his last name, Schmidt. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/works-in-which-two-different-characters-have-the-same-name/1007022/74 "2024-09-12T03:31:40Z")
In the movie **If Looks Could Kill** Richard Grieco’s character Michael Corben is mistaken for Secret Agent Michael Corben. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2024, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/works-in-which-two-different-characters-have-the-same-name/1007022/75 "2024-09-15T06:40:48Z")
**silenus** wrote: How many Marys are there in the Bible? According to Google, six: Mary, mother of Jesus; Mary Magdalene; Mary of Bethany; Mary mother of James the Younger; Mary mother of John Mark; and Mary of Rome. I always wondered if “Mary” was Aramaic for “woman.” ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2024, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/works-in-which-two-different-characters-have-the-same-name/1007022/76 "2024-09-15T17:25:59Z")
All of those were named after Aaron’s sister. The New Testament ones usually use the Hellenized version of the name, while the Old Testament one uses the Hebrew form, but “Miriam” = “Maria” = “Mary”. Confusingly, “Maria” is also the Hellenized form of a Roman name of different origin, the feminine form of “Marius”. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2024, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/works-in-which-two-different-characters-have-the-same-name/1007022/77 "2024-09-15T17:40:42Z")
> [@eburacum45](#): > > _I, Claudius_ was a nightmare of similar names. Graves gave them all separate names, some of which he invented to keep them distinct. My understanding is that, confusing as it is to modern readers/viewers, this is reflective of Roman naming customs. During that time period, a male Roman citizen had three names: - A praenomen (personal name; e.g., Gaius, Titus, Marcus) - A nomen (clan name) - A cognomen (family name) But, an issue is that there were very few praenomens which were in common use. The article indicates that fewer than 25 male praenomens were commonly used, and only 12 of them accounted for the vast majority. And, then, in some cases, a person might also have an “agnomen” name, typically given for particular service to Rome. In the example names you show, “Germanicus” and “Brittanicus” were likely given for service in Germania and Brittanica, while “Augustus” was apparently a title/name given to the Emperor. > **[Roman Names - Life in the Roman Empire](https://carolashby.com/roman-names/)** > > How many names did a Roman citizen have in AD 100? Names for Roman men and women, born free, freed, or slave: what a Roman name could tell you. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/works-in-which-two-different-characters-have-the-same-name/1007022/78 "2024-09-18T03:14:05Z")
Kathy (with a k!) and Cathy (with a c!) from _The Kids in the Hall_ is a deliberate case. Also the Daves (I know, I know) ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/works-in-which-two-different-characters-have-the-same-name/1007022/79 "2024-09-18T21:24:12Z")
Also, the 30 Helens Agree sketches from the first season. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2024, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/works-in-which-two-different-characters-have-the-same-name/1007022/80 "2024-09-19T03:58:27Z")
If we’re counting comedy sketches, then Bruces. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/works-in-which-two-different-characters-have-the-same-name/1007022.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/works-in-which-two-different-characters-have-the-same-name/1007022.md?page=5)