History Main / WackyAmericansHaveWackyNames

* Many [[GhettoName African-American forenames]] can sound odd to those who are not of this ethnicity. This is a relatively recent evolution not seen much before the 1980s. Historically, the vast majority of black Americans did not have formal surnames before emancipation in 1865. Surnames needed to be assumed quickly, and many former enslaved people took the names of presidents, slave-owners, or Union generals, e.g. Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson, etc. "Freeman" was another popular choice, for obvious reasons.

The kernel of truth behind this mostly stems from the New World's origins as a [[UsefulNotes/MeltingPot multi-ethnic society.]] A Celtic given name combined with a Slavic family name (e.g. "Kevin Zagorski") doesn't sound particularly odd to someone with Celtic and Slavic parents (or even just Slavic parents, but they've lived in UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}} for so long they just think of "Kevin" as a normal name for a boy). Each society coming to America brought their own naming conventions and the extent to which they kept those traditions depended upon the extent to which they intermingled with others, hence the survival of [[PreppyName patrician names]] like 'Prescott Worthington Cabot III' alongside more exotic combinations. Some did not come voluntarily and had no choice in what name they received when they got there. Americans do tend to have middle names and traditionally use those initials in formal signatures. Add in the tendency of new immigrants to 'americanize' their names (along with the second or third generation's desire to 'reconnect') with a general American tendency to choose names for sound rather than meaning (to the point of inventing new names when an old one simply just won't do) and names like [[AerithAndBob 'Dirk Pulaski O'Leary' or 'Midori Goldberg']] don't seem like much of a stretch. This is also an effect of the American cultural emphasis on personal freedom and self-expression. Unlike other countries, the U.S. doesn't force parents to choose from lists of "approved" names, so they can name their kids anything they want.[[note]]Of course, it's still expected that the name is something that can be typed on a standard keyboard.[[/note]]

[[HypocriticalHumor said... Marcus Brigstocke]].[[note]]To answer Mr. Brigstocke's question, the name on Romney's birth certificate is "Willard Mitt Romney," so in his case, it isn't short for anything. However, "Mitt" was originally the nickname of his cousin once removed, Milton Romney, who was a quarterback for the Chicago Bears in the 1920s.[[/note]]

Compare HayseedName, GunmanWithThreeNames, PreppyName, and SesquipedalianSmith. NoRealLife examples, please.

Compare HayseedName, GunmanWithThreeNames, PreppyName, and SesquipedalianSmith.

* On the subject of Mitt Romney: "Mitt? What a stupid name. What the hell is it short for? 'Mitthew'?", [[HypocriticalHumor said... Marcus Brigstocke]].[[note]]To answer Mr. Brigstocke's question, the name on Romney's birth certificate is "Willard Mitt Romney," so in his case, it isn't short for anything. However, "Mitt" was originally the nickname of his cousin once removed, Milton Romney, who was a quarterback for the Chicago Bears in the 1920s.[[/note]]

* On the subject of Mitt Romney: "Mitt? What a stupid name. What the hell is it short for? 'Mitthew'?",

The kernel of truth behind this mostly stems from the New World's origins as a [[UsefulNotes/MeltingPot multi-ethnic society.]] A Celtic given name combined with a Slavic family name (e.g. "[[MultiethnicName Kevin Zagorski]]") doesn't sound particularly odd to someone with Celtic and Slavic parents (or even just Slavic parents, but they've lived in UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}} for so long they just think of "Kevin" as a normal name for a boy). Each society coming to America brought their own naming conventions and the extent to which they kept those traditions depended upon the extent to which they intermingled with others, hence the survival of [[PreppyName patrician names]] like 'Prescott Worthington Cabot III' alongside more exotic combinations. Some did not come voluntarily and had no choice in what name they received when they got there. Americans do tend to have middle names and traditionally use those initials in formal signatures. Add in the tendency of new immigrants to 'americanize' their names (along with the second or third generation's desire to 'reconnect') with a general American tendency to choose names for sound rather than meaning (to the point of inventing new names when an old one simply just won't do) and names like [[AerithAndBob 'Dirk Pulaski O'Leary' or 'Midori Goldberg']] don't seem like much of a stretch. This is also an effect of the American cultural emphasis on personal freedom and self-expression. Unlike other countries, the U.S. doesn't force parents to choose from lists of "approved" names, so they can name their kids anything they want.[[note]]Of course, it's still expected that the name is something that can be typed on a standard keyboard.[[/note]]

* In James Baldwin's ''Another Country'', protagonist Rufus has a best friend named Vivaldo Moore. This could also be a MultiethnicName, although the "Vivaldo" seems more like a nod to composer Antonio Vivaldi than an indicator of Italian heritage.

** Dr Hugo Z. Hackenbush in ''Film/ADayAtTheRaces''.

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* Creator/JohnOliver compares Thomas Muscatello (an American commentator on the British Royal Family) calling himself “Thomas J. Mace-Archer-Mills, Esq." to a British person calling themselves “Jefferson Budweiser [=McNuggets=] Jr."
* Comedian Creator/LennyHenry's comic character Theophilus P. Wildebeeste, an over-the-top parody of various 1970s soul singers like Barry White.
* In 1992, the British SketchComedy show ''Radio/TheMaryWhitehouseExperience'' included [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ82aMQONvc a sketch]] showing what it would look like when the US would be hosting UsefulNotes/TheWorldCup in 1994. One of the players is named Barry Spinnaker, and the host is named Dwight Speigelhacker.
* Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane, from ''Series/TheDukesOfHazzard'', not to mention his superior Jefferson Davis "Boss" Hogg [[note]] who has a twin named Abraham Lincoln Hogg[[/note]], his deputy Cletus Hogg and their rival Beauregard "Bo" Duke.
* ''Series/TheWaltons'' had a full complement of these under their roof, too, with John-Boy, Jim-Bob, Zebulon (Grandpa), Esther (Grandma) and Mary Ellen.

* ''Series/{{QI}}'', see above. They also enjoyed a Judge Jack Love and a John [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast "Crazy"]] Fitch in a way they probably wouldn't have if the owners of those names had been British.
* ''Franchise/StarTrek'': Captain James T. (for Tiberius) Kirk of the USS Enterprise.
* ''Series/TheWestWing'': D. Wire Newman has to be the best name for a fake ex-president ever invented. And grandiose, [=WASPy=] names for politicians were especially prevalent in the Creator/AaronSorkin seasons, from Lilienfield and Claypool to Stackhouse and Sugarbaker.
-->'''Josh:''' Peyton Cabot Harrison the Third. He sounds like he should be a Supreme Court justice.\\
'''Donna:''' It's a good name.\\
'''Josh:''' [[BoardingSchool Phillips Exeter]], [[UsefulNotes/IvyLeague Princeton]], [[{{UsefulNotes/Oxbridge}} Rhodes Scholar]], [[IvyLeagueForEveryone Harvard Law Review]], for which he was, oh yeah, the ''editor'' -- did I ''mention'' he was dean of Harvard Law School? Did I mention that his father was Attorney General to ''[[UsefulNotes/DwightDEisenhower Eisenhower]]''?\\
'''Donna:''' Peyton Cabot Harrison the Third.\\
'''Josh:''' That's right.\\
'''Donna:''' [[SarcasmMode Jewish fella?]]

** The person they end up appointing is named [[InvertedTrope Roberto Mendoza]], played by Edward James Olmos.
** In another episode CJ suffers a [[{{Corpsing}} badly timed fit of giggles]] over the name Marion Coatsworth-Haye.
* Series/BFighterKabuto introduces 4 [[SixthRanger additional heroes]] from [[MultinationalTeam around the world]], with the first to appear being an American named Mac Windy.
* ''{{Series/Firefly}}'' used some of these [[SpaceWestern to help set the scene]], like Rance Burgess, the villain in "Heart of Gold." Among the main cast, the full names of Hoban "Wash" Washburn and Kaywinnit Lee "Kaylee" Frye also qualify.
* Kramer's alias H.E. Pennypacker on ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}''. "I'm a wealthy American industrialist looking to open a silver mine in the mountains of Peru..."

* ''Series/TorchwoodMiracleDay'', which took place in both the U.K. and the U.S., introduced us to American characters Rex Matheson and Esther Drummond.
* ''Series/TheGoodies'' had Major Charles M. Cheeseburger in one episode.

* On the subject of Mitt Romney: "Mitt? What a stupid name. What the hell is it short for? 'Mitthew'?", [[HypocriticalHumor said... Marcus Brigstocke]].[[note]]To answer Mr. Brigstocke's question, the name on Romney's birth certificate is "Willard Mitt Romney," so in his case, it isn't short for anything. However, "Mitt" was originally the nickname of his cousin once removed, Milton Romney, who was a quarterback for the Chicago Bears in the 1920s.[[/note]]

* A specially-made sketch for ''UsefulNotes/ComicRelief'' was set in an international disarmament conference. The American delegate introduced his aide as "Major-General Julius T. Hackenpacker III". And then shot him.
* ''Series/{{Burnistoun}}'': Exaggerated with a pair of American [=GIs=] named Brocca Bronk and Honk Hucklehanka, who both come from hometowns that sound very similar to their ridiculous names.
* ''Series/{{Outnumbered}}'': Auntie Angela's new American husband is called...Brick. [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment It's short for Brick.]]

* Possibly invoked by English country singer and dentist (yes!) Hank Wangford when he adopted his stage name, especially given the closeness of "Wangford" to the derogatory term "wanker".
* Rich Hall's touring musical persona Otis Lee Crenshaw.

* [[Music/EddieVedder Edward Louis Severson III]]

* Jay Washbourne III in the ''Series/AbsolutePowerBBC'' episode "Mayor of London".

* The 1994 Super Famicom game ''Fighting Baseball'' didn't have the rights to use actual MLB players' names, so they used made-up names: [[https://slate.com/technology/2020/04/mlbpa-baseball-nintendo-japan-player-names.html Sleve McDichael, Bobson Dugnutt, Mike Truk, and Todd Bonzalez]] are a few.

* The ExcusePlot of ''Olli and Lissa'' is that the castle where they live has been bought by a wealthy American named Eugene Portcullis III, who intends to dismantle it and ship it to America.

* "Brains" in ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'' goes by the names Hiram K. Hackenbacker and Ray Hackenbacker, although his true name is not actually revealed in-universe.
* From ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory1'' and its sequels, the all-American astronaut toy Buzz Lightyear.
* A lot of characters in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' have eccentric names.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* All-American HotBlooded goofball badass Chibodee Crocket from ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam'' is one of the more outlandish examples.
* ''Anime/GuiltyCrown'' has Colonel Dan Eagleman, a quirky American officer in the service of GHQ.
* The American villain of the Duelist Kingdom arc of ''Manga/YuGiOh'' is named Pegasus J. Crawford in Japanese, and the slightly more normal but still wacky [[MyNaymeIs Maximillion]] Pegasus in English. All the other American characters have normal names, however.
* Oddly enough, ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'' gives its [[NationsAsPeople anthropomorphic personification of America]] the rather bland moniker "Alfred Jones," though he ''does'' have the MysteriousMiddleInitial "F" (speculated to stand for, among other things, [[PatrioticFervor "Franklin," "Freedom,"]] and [[ClusterFBomb "Fucking"]]).

* The now-defunct British comics ''ComicBook/WhizzerAndChips'' and ''Buster'' had ''Junior Rotter'', a version of ''Series/{{Dallas}}'' with child characters. Unsurprisingly, these followed the names of that series, including Sue Helen, J.R.'s sister. J.R. himself, of course, averted the trope in this version.

* ''ComicStrip/{{Doonesbury}}'' is rife with this trope: Michael J. Doonesbury, Mark P. Slackmeyer, Barbara Ann 'Boopsie' Boopstein, Joanie 'J.J.' Caucus, Jr., Zeke Brenner, and Roland Burton Hedley, Jr.

** Wolf J. Flywheel in ''The Big Store''.
** S. Quentin Quale in ''Go West''.

* The Creator/CoenBrothers are good for illustrating the different flavors of this trope, because their movies all take place in different, very atmosphere-heavy, uniquely American settings. For example:
** ''Film/OBrotherWhereArtThou'' has the Southern versions. Vernon T. Waldrip and Ulysses Everett [=McGill=] come to mind.
** ''Film/{{Fargo}}'' has the Scandinavian-derived Minnesotan surnames (Gunderson and Lundegaard).
** ''Film/TheHudsuckerProxy'' has the Germanic captain-of-industry names (Waring Hudsucker and Sidney J. Mussburger), plus Norville Barnes for the small-town protagonist.
* ''Film/RugglesOfRedGap'' involves Ruggles, a valet who could not be any more TheJeeves if he tried, coming into the employ of a loud and wacky, if well-meaning, NouveauRiche American named "Egbert Floud".
* ''[[Film/ThePoseidonAdventure Beyond the Poseidon Adventure]]'' features Slim Pickens as a [[EverythingIsBigInTexas colorful, big-talking alcoholic Texan]] named Dewey Hopkins, whom the British protagonist (played by Creator/MichaelCaine) derisively calls "Tex". The cliche of Slim Pickens playing a character called Tex was lampshaded by Creator/RogerEbert in his one-star review.

* Brick Eagleburger from the Literature/AdrianMole books.
* Quincey P. Morris from ''Literature/{{Dracula}}''. Although he isn't exactly comic, he is a [[AmericansAreCowboys rootin', tootin' and shootin' American man of action]].

* The characters of ''Literature/GoodOmens'' include a televangelist called Marvin O. [[MeaningfulName Bagman]].

* ''Literature/ToKillAMockingbird'' also naturally has several examples, with the prize going to X Billups, who has no given name other than X.
* ''Literature/MoneyASuicideNote'', by Martin Amis features an American actor called Spunk Davis. The book's protagonist tries to explain to him why his name may be a problem for a movie's UK release, but chickens out.

* To the British characters in Creator/DerekRobinson's ''Piece of Cake'', the perfectly innocuous Christopher Hart III is a wacky name. Of course, they first mistake "III" (the third) for "ill" (sick). When they eventually figure it out they shorten his name to "[=CH3=]".

** This odd convention was also noted by Creator/ThomasPynchon and parodied to the maximum possible extent in ''Literature/GravitysRainbow'' with the gloriously-named ''USS John E. Badass.''
** It also shows up in Creator/{{Tom Clancy}}'s ''Literature/RedStormRising'' in a humorous exchange of blinker signals between HMS ''Battleaxe'' and USS ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reuben_James Reuben James]]''.
-->'''Battleaxe''': ''WHAT THE DEVIL IS A REUBEN JAMES?''\\
'''Reuben James''': ''AT LEAST WE DON'T NAME SHIPS FOR OUR MOTHER-IN-LAW''
* In James Baldwin's ''Another Country'', protagonist Rufus has a best friend named Vivaldo Moore. This could also be a MultiethnicName, although the "Vivaldo" seems more like a nod to composer Antonio Vivaldi than an indicator of Italian heritage.
* It might be easier to list the characters in Creator/JohnBellairs' books who ''don't'' fit this trope. [[Literature/TheHouseWithAClockInItsWalls Lewis Barnavelt]] wouldn't raise any eyebrows, but [[Literature/TheCurseOfTheBlueFigurine Roderick Childermass? H. Bagwell Glomus?]] [[Literature/TheTreasureOfAlpheusWinterborn ...Alpheus Winterborn?]]
** Bellairs' villains typically have Wacky But ObviouslyEvil Names: Isaac and Selenna Izard, Eliphaz Moss, Remigius Baart, Esdrias Blackleach, etc etc.

* ''Literature/AStudyInScarlet'' has Enoch J. Drebber of Cleveland, Ohio. Lampshaded in the pastiche ''Literature/TheHoundOfTheDUrbervilles'':
-->"Enoch J. Drebber -- why d'you think Yankees are so keen on those blasted middle initials?"
* Creator/RoaldDahl's ''Literature/CharlieAndTheGreatGlassElevator'' features President Lancelot R. Gilligrass.
* ''[[Franchise/{{Tarzan}} Tarzan of the Apes]]'' has AbsentMindedProfessor Archimedes Q. Porter and his BeleagueredAssistant, Samuel T. Philander.
* Creator/SinclairLewis' novel ''Babbitt'', which satirizes American society and culture has supporting characters with names like Vergil Gunch, Professor Joseph K. Pumphrey, Chester "Chet" Laylock, Mat Penniman, T. Cholmondeley "Chum" Frink, Tanis Judique and Carrie Nork.
** Lewis came up with a whole slew of these names for the cast of ''Literature/ItCantHappenHere'', most notably [[PresidentEvil Berzelius "Buzz" Windrip]] and [[IntrepidReporter Doremus Jessup]].

* Creator/PGWodehouse often indulged in this trope, though his Americans' names tended to sound no more or less absurd than [[PreppyName his British gentry]].
** ''Big Money'': An American millionaire is called T. Patterson Frisby. (The T stands for [[EmbarrassingFirstName Torquil]].)
** ''The Small Bachelor'': ex-millionaire Sigsbee Horatio Waddington.
** ''Literature/JoyInTheMorning:'' Another tycoon, this one named Chichester Clam.

* ''Literature/EncryptionStraffe'''s protagonist Creator/ClintEastwood Newton was the only American in his entire PrivateMilitaryContractor corporation. He preferred to go with his nickname "Genie". Other Americans are more conventionally named, like Mitch Parkson and Percival [=McBride=].
** However, Mitch Parkson's son is named Dodge.

* ''Literature/CaptainsCourageous'': Diskobolus Troop, captain of the fishing schooner "We're Here".
* Creator/AgathaChristie seemed to find Americans inherently funny. Besides usually rendering them with {{Funetik Aksent}}s she was prone to give them wacky names. ''Literature/TheSecretOfChimneys'' has an American skulking around the Chimneys mansion, obviously up to something, named Hiram P. Fish. ''Literature/TheThirteenProblems'' has an American PhonyPsychic con artist named Eurydice Spragg.

* The now-defunct British comics ''ComicBook/WhizzerAndChips'' and ''Buster'' had ''Junior Rotter'', a version of ''Series/{{Dallas}}'' (see below) with child characters. Unsurprisingly, these followed the names of that series, including Sue Helen, J.R.'s sister. J.R. himself, of course, averted the trope in this version.