History Main / Tuckerization

* In the Franchise/StarTrekExpandedUniverse novel ''Literature/HowMuchForJustThePlanet'' by Creator/JohnMFord, the ''Enterprise'' visits a planet colonized by a group of eccentric artists; nearly all the colonists with speaking parts are based on the author's friends and fellow-writers, including PamelaDean, Creator/NeilGaiman, DianeDuane, Creator/PeterMorwood, and JanetKagan.

* Practically half the names of people and places in the World of Greyhawk setting for ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' are named after people E. Gary Gygax knew, and then there's Xagyg/Zagyg/Zagig himself. Or [[SdrawkcabName Yrag]] the Lord? Or the Duchy of Urnst?[[note]]Gygax's father was named Ernst.[[/note]] Or the Ring of Gaxx? Seriously... half of the World of Greyhawk is named after Gary Gygax ''himself!'' Heck, the coat of arms that the fighter bears on the cover of the First Edition AD&D DMG is Gygax' own family heraldry.

* Practically half the names of people and places in the World of Greyhawk setting for ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' are named after people E. Gary Gygax knew, and then there's Xagyg/Zagyg/Zagig himself. Or Yrag[[note]]spell it backwards[[/note]] the Lord? Or the Duchy of Urnst? Or the Ring of Gaxx? Seriously... half of the World of Greyhawk is named after Gary Gygax ''himself!'' Heck, the coat of arms that the fighter bears on the cover of the First Edition AD&D DMG is Gygax' own family heraldry.

* Some examples from ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'': [[http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=37 Nevinyrral's Disk]] is named after writer LarryNiven [[note]]Although this might be more of a straight ShoutOut, given that Niven wrote a story about just such a disk.[[/note]], while [[http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=3794 Jalum Tome]] is named after former ''Magic'' game designer Joel L. Mick (initials: JLM).

** A sign in ''Film/{{Slither}}'' promotes "Henenlotter Dairy Days." Frank Henenlotter was the director of ''Basket Case''.
** Raimi and Savini in ''Film/TheDeadNextDoor'', after ''Franchise/EvilDead'' director Sam Raimi and ''Film/DawnOfTheDead'' effects artist and actor Tom Savini.

* When Wrestling/{{ECW}}'s [[Wrestling/MikeBucci Nova]] made his on-screen WWE debut in 2004, he was renamed "Simon Dean", in honor of the retired Dean Malenko (real name: Dean Simon).

* Jim from the upcoming ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW'' series was [[https://twitter.com/katiecandraw/status/245733313220861954 named]] [[https://twitter.com/katiecandraw/status/245877567113011200 after]] [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic show]] storyboard supervisor "Big" Jim Miller.

* In the fourth ''HarryPotter'' book, a girl named Natalie [=MacDonald=] briefly appears and is put in Gryffindor. This was the name of a cancer patient who sent J.K. Rowling a very nice fan letter. The little girl had asked to be told how the story ended before she died, but Rowling didn't get to respond in time, so she named the character after her in tribute. Also, the name "Potter" comes from her childhood neighbors.

For the time travel variant, see also ImMrFuturePopCultureReference. For the animal version, see TributeToFido. For characters who take their names from the actors who portray them, see TheDanza. Opposite is NoCelebritiesWereHarmed.

* Lord Lew in TheMuppetMovie was named after TheMuppetShow producer Lew Grade, who was the only person who gave Jim Henson's idea for TheMuppetShow a chance when all the networks passed up on it. he even occupies a similar role in-movie in helping the Muppets get their big break.

* In ''ShanghaiNoon'', Jackie Chan's character is named Chon Wang (JohnWayne), and in the sequel, ''Shanghai Knights'', Owen Wilson's character uses the name Franchise/SherlockHolmes [[LineOfSightName as an alias]]. A nearby Arthur Conan Doyle hears the name, and likes it. While Owen Wilson's character goes by Roy O'Bannon, he reveals at the end of the first movie that he changed it -- from Wyatt Earp. Finally, the kid sidekick in the second film is none other than Creator/CharlieChaplin.

* Parody: One of the main characters in ''OfficeSpace'' is named Michael Bolton... and his major character trait is constantly complaining about people bringing up the ''other'' Michael Bolton. When someone asks him why he doesn't go by "Mike," his reply is "No way! Why should I change? ''He's'' the one who [[TakeThat sucks!"]]

** A sign in ''{{Slither}}'' promotes "Henenlotter Dairy Days." Frank Henenlotter was the director of ''Basket Case''.
** Raimi and Savini in ''TheDeadNextDoor'', after ''Franchise/EvilDead'' director Sam Raimi and ''Film/DawnOfTheDead'' effects artist and actor Tom Savini.
** ''{{Fido}}'' is set in the fictional town of Stanley, named after the setting of ''NightOfTheLivingDead''.

* ''Series/{{Angel}}'''s Gunn was named so after the brothers [[{{Slither}} James Gunn]] and [[GilmoreGirls Sean Gunn]], with whom JossWhedon had worked.

!!Examples:

* Two gargoyles from Disney's ''Disney/TheHunchbackofNotreDame'' are named Victor and Hugo (after the author of the book in which the film was based off of), respectively.

* On Disney cartoons where Goofy plays all the characters in a sports team, the names of the players are those of various Disney artists.
* Mozenrath of Disney's ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' is named for series writers Bill Motz and Bob Roth.
** Razoul was also named after Rasoul Azadani, Disney's layout supervisor.

** Rowling manages to do this to a ''car'', of all things: the Weasleys' Ford Anglia is a homage to a blue Ford Anglia that belonged to one of Rowling's old friends (who was the inspiration for Ron). Rowling was exceptionally fond of the car because the friend used to take her joyriding in it during a period when she didn't own a car (she mentions that she used to associate the car with freedom, making the Weasleys' rescue of Harry using the fictional Ford Anglia in ChamberOfSecrets all the more meaningful).

* DCComics is particularly fond of this - in [[{{Batman}} Gotham City]], nearly every street, building, park, subway stop, land mark, topographical feature, bridge, shanty, lean-to, or other edifice will be named after previous Batman artists, in the instances where they're not named after Gotham City itself.

*** The boys [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome rarely appearing any more]] friend Django is named after Django Marsh, Swampy's son, who often does kid voices on the show.

* Two gargoyles from Disney's ''Disney/TheHunchbackofNotreDame'' are named Victor and Hugo (after the author of the book in which the film was based off of), respectively.
* Those other scarers from ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc''. They're all named after the [[PixarRegulars staff of Pixar.]]
* The RLS Legacy starship from ''Disney/TreasurePlanet'' was named after Robert Louis Stevenson, the writer of ''TreasureIsland''.
* The Fa family ancestors from ''Disney/{{Mulan}}'' are all named after the film's cast and crew.
* Darla, from ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'', is named after [[PixarRegulars Pixar staff member]] Darla K. Anderson.

* Gabriella, the deaf and mute mermaid from ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid'', was based on a fan of the show who passed away during the first season.

* Carlie Cooper of the SpiderMan comics is named after JoeQuesada 's daughter. [[RuleofCautiousEditingJudgement That is all that will be said on the subject]]

* In L-Dog Z's ''Spider-Man Evolution'' series all minor mooks that are not pre-existing comicbook characters are named after comicbook writers, basically combining this trope with TakeThat (although they're also (fan) [[CanonImmigrant Canon Immigrants]] from the {{Daredevil}} film adapation).

* The ''Literature/LordDarcy'' stories by Randall Garrett include a brilliant magical theoretician named Sir Thomas Leseaux. Garrett was friends with the stage magician and author T.A. Waters. His sometime collaborator Michael Kurland appears in ''Too Many Magicians'' as Sergeant-At-Arms Michel Coure-Terre. Also in ''Too Many Magicians'', there is a senior wizard named James Zwinge; the real name of stage magician and arch-sceptic James Randi.

* The monster from the 13th and final ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' movie, Hirudegarn, was apparently named after the film's animation supervisor whose name was Hiruda. Apparently, when he saw the design for the thing his jaw dropped, an expression characterised in Japanese with the onomatopoeia "[[UnsoundEffect GAAN]]."

* The monster from the 13th and final ''Manga/DragonBall Z'' movie, Hirudegarn, was apparently named after the film's animation supervisor whose name was Hiruda. Apparently, when he saw the design for the thing his jaw dropped, an expression characterised in Japanese with the onomatopoeia "[[UnsoundEffect GAAN]]."

* In the ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' episode "Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together," the band in question is composed of Danny (named after Dan Povenmire, one of the creators), "Swampy" Sherman (the other creator, Jeff "Swampy" Marsh), and Bobbi Fabulous (whose name comes from Bobby Gaylor, a writer on the show). The last one is...''[[AmbiguouslyGay subtlety at its finest]]''...

* In ''Konami Wai Wai World'', Dr. Cinnamon is named after the game's lead programmer, Shinamon Kazuhiro.

** An amusing instance in the first RP. The terrorist commander is named Halesy. He is played by LB&T, who has the surname of Halesy.