Where To Watch
Finally, now we know what the ''E'' in ''Wile E. Coyote'' stands for
Brought to you by the letter E!
Some Looney Tunes characters are named after the creature they are, like the Tasmanian Devil or the Road Runner. Other characters have more meaningful names, like Bugs Bunny, who is named after his co-creator, Bugs Hardaway. Sylvester's name is meant to exaggerate his lisp, just like Elmer Fudd's name exaggerates his rhotacism. Foghorn Leghorn's name is derived from Senator Claghorn, the character from The Fred Allen Show that animators pulled inspiration from. Yosemite Sam is named after the western national park. Tweety is named because that's the sound birds make, and Daffy is named Daffy because that's exactly what he is.
But where did Wile E. Coyote's name come from, and what does the E stand for? Cartoon fans and historians have long sought the answer to this question, and luckily, we have it.
Obviously, Wile E. Coyote's name is meant to be a pun on the word "wily," meaning sly, crafty, deceitful, etc., but that still doesn't explain the "E". Couldn't Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese just call him "Wily Coyote," like how Daffy is simply "Daffy Duck" instead of "Daff E. Duck"?
Some fans have speculated that the "E" is meant to just be an example of Wile E. Coyote's grandiose self-image. In the handful of cartoons where he is able to talk, Coyote introduces himself to Bugs Bunny as "Wile E. Coyote - Genius". A genius deserves a grandiose name, and what implies self-importance more than a middle initial?
Others have suggested that the "E" is simply a mystery, planted by Chuck Jones meant to mess with the audience. The absence of an answer makes audience members project their own meaning onto the "E" and onto Wile E. himself. It may just be one of those instances where 1950s animators were not prepared to have answers for the questions 2020s fans would have.
But there is a potential answer: according to animation historian Mark Evanier, the answer lies in a 1973 issue of the Beep Beep the Road Runner comic book, in a story called "The Greatest of E's". In the story, Coyote has an identity crisis because he also does not know what the "E" stands for. Coyote consults different members of his family when his uncle, Kraft E. Coyote, reveals that the "E" stands for "Ethelbert" and it's a family name.
Evanier himself admits that while it's better to have "Ethelbert" than nothing, the answer feels unofficial. This comic book had no involvement from the character's original creators, and while Warner Bros. licensed the character rights to Western Publishing Company, Warner Bros. has never declared "Ethelbert" to be fact. So, it's "Ethelbert" for now because we have no other explanation.
Hopefully this question gets discussed and answered in the upcoming Coyote vs. ACME movie.
