Character name origins

==Characters named after performers/crew==
===The Muppets===
* Betsy Bird — named after Betsy Baytos
* Cynthia Birdley — named after Cynthia Adler
* Fletcher Bird — named after Graham Fletcher
* Frank — a Frank Oz lookalike
* Gene — named after Gene Barretta
* Jerry — a Jerry Nelson lookalike
* Jim — a Jim Henson lookalike
* Joe the Armadillo — named after Joey Mazzarino
* Lou — named after Louise Gold
* Roger — named after Roger Knight
* Walter — named after a puppet that Jason Segel owned
===Sesame Street===
* Big Jeffie — named after Jeff Moss
* Jeffy — named after Jeff Moss
* Calypso Calloway — named after Northern Calloway
* Carmen — named after Carmen Osbahr
* Chrissy — named after Christopher Cerf
* Little Chrissy — named after Christopher Cerf
* Davey Monkey — named after David Rudman
* Fran — named after Fran Brill
* Miss Fran — named after Fran Brill
* Farmer Frankie — named after Frank Oz
* Frances Oznowicz — named after Frank Oz
* Frannie — named after Fran Brill
* Little Jerry — named after Jerry Nelson
* Little Sammy Pottle — named after Sam Pottle
* Mr. Jerry — named after Jerry Nelson
* Nelson in Episode 3878 — named after Jerry Nelson
* Joe Marley — named after Joey Mazzarino
* Joey Dickens — named after Joey Mazzarino
* Joey Monkey — named after Joey Mazzarino
* Louisey — named after Louise Gold
* Marty — named after Martin P. Robinson
* Richard — named after Richard Hunt
* Rockin' Richard — named after Richard Hunt
* Pammy — named after Pam Arciero
* Diva D'Abruzzo — named after Stephanie D'Abruzzo
* Mrs. Turow — named after Cathi Rosenberg-Turow (performed by Stephanie D'Abruzzo)
* Frank and Jerry — in a sketch about measuring , two Muppets performed by Frank Oz and Jerry Nelson, respectively.
* Kevin and Kathryn — in a Professor Grover sketch about school , two classmates named after their performers, Kevin Clash and Kathryn Mullen, respectively.
* Lara and Matt — in the video Learning is Everywhere, two friends Elmo and Abby meet at the park are named after their performers, Lara MacLean and Matt Vogel, respectively.
* Matt from Episode 4224 — named after Matt Vogel
===Fraggle Rock===
* Balsam — named after Philip Balsam (performed by Lee Armstrong, Jerry Nelson and Karen Prell)
* Gillis Fraggle — named after Don Gillis (performed by Richard Hunt)
* Phil Fraggle — named after Philip Balsam
===The Animal Show===
* Dave the Human — Dave Goelz (puppet performed by Bill Barretta)
===Other===
* Regina, Queen of Ka-Larry — named after writer's assistant Regina Calarie
* It was originally suggested that Zoe on Sesame Street be named after her performer, Fran Brill. Brill didn't want a puppet named after her, so she suggested naming the puppet Zoe after the J. D. Salinger novel Franny and Zooey.Sesame Street Unpaved, p. 87
==Characters named after other people==
* Alphonso D'Abruzzo — named after Alan Alda's real name.
* Bert and Ernie — see Are Bert and Ernie named after characters from It's a Wonderful Life?
* Deena — named after a close friend of Norman Stiles.
* Bunsen Honeydew — named after chemist Robert Bunsen (of bunsen burner fame), and the honeydew melon.
* Donnie and Marie Dodo — named after Donny and Marie Osmond.
* Fozzie Bear — see Fozzie's name
* Gloria Estefan (penguin) — named after Gloria Estefan
* Humphrey and Ingrid — named after Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.
* Kermit the Frog — see Was Kermit named after a childhood friend of Jim Henson?
* Miss Piggy — named after Peggy Lee"The Woman Behind Miss Piggy", Anika Gupta, Smithsonian magazine, October 2008. 
* Mokey — named after a childhood friend of Jim Henson.
* Prairie Dawn — named after an actress named Prairie Dorn.
* Rizzo the Rat — named after Ratso Rizzo from Midnight Cowboy.
* Svengali — named after a character in George du Maurier's novel Trilby.
see also: :Category:Caricature Muppets and :Category:Parody Muppets
==Characters named after places==
* Astoria — named after the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.
* Belmont — named after the horse racing track Belmont Park.
* The Bouncing Borsalino Brothers — named after the Italian hat company Borsalino.
* Waldorf — named after the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.
* Wembley — named after Wembley Stadium.
* Signor Baffi — named after Signor Baffi's Italian restaurant.
* Statler — named after the Statler Hotel in New York City.
* Oscar the Grouch — named after Oscar's Tavern in Manhattan.
==Characters named after filmmaking techniques==
* Limbo — used in video production to indicate a neutral or nondescript background.
* Gobo — short for "go between"; a lighting term used in film, television and theatre.
* Traveling Matt — from "traveling matte," a technique used in television and film to insert a foreground object into a prerecorded background image.
* Waldo — after the waldo, the electronic device used to perform him.
==Characters whose names are puns==
* Abby Cadabby — a play on "abracadabra"
* Anne Phibian — a play on "amphibian"
* A. Ligator — a play on "aligator"
* Bestov Breed — a play on "best of breed"
* Gonnigan — a play on "gone again"
* Gordon Blue — a play on the French baked chicken dish "cordon bleu"
* Herry Monster — a play on "hairy monster"
* Hugh Mungous — a play on "humongous"
* Hypocritic Oaf — a play on "hippocratic oath"
* Ida Claire — a play on "I declare"
* Ms. Nomer — a play on "misnomer"
* Isabel — she "is a bell"
* Lew Zealand — a play on "New Zealand"
* Link Hogthrob - a sausage link plus a play on "heartthrob"
* Lotta Chatter — a play on "lot of chatter"
* Mr. Mason Dixon — a play on "the Mason Dixon line"
* Dr. Nobel Price — a play on "Nobel Prize"
* Phil Harmonic — a play on "Philharmonic"
* Sal Minella — a play on "salmonella"
* Sopwith the Camel — a play on the "Sopwith Camel" biplane
* Spa'am - a play on Spam
* Spamela Hamderson - Spam plus Pamela Anderson
* Tatooey Rat — a play on "ratatouille"
==Characters whose names are anagrams==
* Kermit the Forg — scrambling of the letters in "frog"
* Kermit the Gorf — scrambling of the letters in "frog"
* Kermit the Grof — scrambling of the letters in "frog"
* The Teppums — "Teppum" Muppet backwards
* Oznog — "Gonzo" backwards
* Timrek the Gorf — "Kermit the Frog" backwards
==Other name origins==
* Beaker — named after the piece of lab equipment.
* Boober — named after an angry cow encountered by one of Jim Henson's daughters in Devon.
==See also==
* Inconsistent character names
==Sources==
__NOWYSIWYG__
Category:Character Lists
Category:Rumors
Category:Self-References