Names in Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland’s multiverse aren't just random syllables thrown together while a voice actor burps into a microphone. They’re sticky. Most people think Rick and Morty names are just low-brow puns or sci-fi gibberish, but if you look at the etymology and the way these characters are built, there’s a weirdly specific logic to the madness. It's kinda brilliant.
Take the titular duo. Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith. On the surface? Totally mundane. That’s the point. You have this god-like super-scientist with a name that sounds like a retired plumber from New Jersey. Sanchez gives him a specific heritage that the show rarely leans on but uses to ground his nihilism in a recognizable reality. Then you’ve got Morty. Short for Mortimer. It sounds old. It sounds weak. It’s the perfect foil to a "Rick," which carries a harsh, sharp phonetic energy.
The Weird Logic of Rick and Morty Names
The show loves a good "blorf" name. You know the ones. Mr. Poopybutthole. Noob-Noob. Squanchy. These feel like they were invented during a late-night writers' room session fueled by too much caffeine and a lack of sleep.
But then you get into the more "scientific" sounding ones. Zeep Xanflorp. Unity. Birdperson. Birdperson is arguably the funniest name in the entire series because it is so aggressively literal. It bypasses all the tropes of high-concept sci-fi naming conventions—where characters have names like Xax’Thot the Unforgiving—and just settles on exactly what he is. A person. Who is a bird.
This naming convention serves a purpose: it strips away the self-importance of the genre. When you’re dealing with infinite realities, having a "fancy" name is basically a form of vanity that the universe doesn't care about.
What’s in a Smith?
The Smith family names are intentionally boring. Jerry, Annie, Summer, Beth. They are the "white bread" of the multiverse. This creates a friction between their domestic lives and the cosmic horror Rick drags them into. When a "Jerry" is forced to face a "Glorzo," the name contrast alone tells the story.
Honestly, the name Jerry has become a shorthand in real-world pop culture for a specific kind of pathetic-but-lovable incompetence. That doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of consistent character writing where the name becomes a brand. You don't even have to see the character anymore; you just hear the name and you know the vibe.
🔗 Read more: The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads: Why This Live Album Still Beats the Studio Records
Iconic Side Characters and Their Linguistic Roots
Let's talk about Unity. It's a hive mind. The name is the function. It’s a classic sci-fi trope, but the show treats the name like a romantic partner's name, which makes it feel personal rather than clinical. Then you have Abradolf Lincler.
That name is a car crash.
It’s the literal fusion of Abraham Lincoln and Adolf Hitler. The joke isn't just the visual; it's the phonetics of trying to mash those two specific historical legacies into a single, cohesive identity. It shouldn't work. It barely works in the show. That’s the tragedy of the character.
Then there are the names that feel like they belong in a 1950s radio play. Principal Vagina. (No relation). He has to specify that constantly. It’s a one-note joke that somehow survives for multiple seasons because the show commits to the bit. It highlights the mundane bureaucracy of the school setting compared to the madness of the Citadel.
The Citadel of Ricks: A Naming Nightmare
When you have infinite versions of the same two people, how do you track Rick and Morty names? You use coordinates. C-137. The Rickest Rick.
This introduces a layer of "serial number" naming that reflects Rick's view of sentient life as interchangeable. To him, names don't matter because there are a billion other "Beths" out there. But to the audience, these identifiers become badges of honor. Fans argue over which Rick is which based on these designations. It’s a clever way to turn a technicality into lore.
💡 You might also like: Wrong Address: Why This Nigerian Drama Is Still Sparking Conversations
Think about Pickle Rick. That isn’t even a name; it’s a state of being. Yet, it’s probably the most famous "name" to come out of the series. It’s a transformation. It’s a meme. It’s a marketing juggernaut. It shows that in this universe, what you are often overwrites who you were born as.
Why the Nonsense Names Work
Sometimes the names are just mouth-sounds. Glip-Glops. (Which is apparently a very offensive term, so watch out). The show plays with the idea that language is arbitrary.
- Mr. Meeseeks: The name sounds like a plea for help. "Me seek." They exist to fulfill a purpose and then die. The repetitive, squeaky nature of the name matches their high-pitched, desperate energy.
- Scary Terry: A legally distinct version of a certain dream-slasher. The name is a playground rhyme. It takes the "fear" out of the character and turns him into a guy who's just trying too hard.
- Fart: A sentient cloud of gas named by Morty because, well, he’s a teenager. The contrast between the being’s majestic, telepathic singing and the name "Fart" is the quintessential Rick and Morty experience.
The naming isn't always about being clever. Sometimes it’s about being as stupid as possible to see if the audience will still care about the emotional stakes. Usually, we do. We cried over a character named Sleepy Gary because the writing made us forget the name was ridiculous.
The Influence on Modern Animation
You can see the fingerprints of this style everywhere now. Shows like Solar Opposites or Lower Decks use similar "grounded vs. absurd" naming patterns. The trick is balancing the "Earth" names with the "Space" names. If everyone has a weird name, nothing is weird.
By keeping the core cast named like a 90s sitcom family, the writers ensure that every time a "Blamphomet" or a "Sloobarian" shows up, it actually feels alien. It preserves the "stranger in a strange land" dynamic that keeps the show from spinning off into total abstraction.
Identifying the Best Names for Your Own Projects
If you’re looking at Rick and Morty names for inspiration, you have to look at the "Rule of Three" syllables. A lot of the best alien names follow a specific cadence. Xan-flor-pian. Glip-glop-ian. They use "hard" consonants—K’s, T’s, G’s—to sound foreign but pronounceable.
📖 Related: Who was the voice of Yoda? The real story behind the Jedi Master
But really, the secret sauce is the juxtaposition.
Mix a very normal first name with a very weird last name. Or vice versa. Use a title that doesn't fit the creature. A giant monster named "Kevin" is always going to be funnier than a giant monster named "World-Eater."
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Creators
If you’re trying to understand the DNA of this show, start with the credits. Look at the minor characters. You’ll see a pattern of "low-stakes" naming that allows the high-concept sci-fi to feel more accessible.
- Analyze the Contrast: Notice how often a high-concept sci-fi entity is given a mundane human name to deflate the tension.
- Study Phonetics: Observe how "sharp" names (Rick) interact with "soft" names (Morty) to create character chemistry before a line of dialogue is even spoken.
- Check the References: Many names are distorted nods to 80s and 90s pop culture. Identifying these can give you a deeper appreciation for the "remix" culture the show thrives on.
- Avoid Over-naming: Sometimes, the funniest name is just a description of the thing, like "Eyehole Man."
The legacy of these names isn't just in the laughs. It’s in how they build a world that feels both infinitely large and incredibly small at the same time. Whether it’s a Rick or a Zeep, the name is the first handshake between the creator and the viewer. Make it count.
Explore the official Rick and Morty character guides or the "Art of Rick and Morty" books to see the early sketches where these names were first scrawled in the margins. You'll find that many of the most iconic characters started as a doodle with a placeholder name that just happened to stick because it sounded right.