Some of the most famous old Sesame Street characters names include:
- Big Bird
- Bert
- Ernie
- Cookie Monster
- Oscar the Grouch
- Grover
- Count von Count
These classic characters were part of the early decades of Sesame Street, which first aired in 1969.
If you’re searching for old Sesame Street characters names, you’re likely looking for the original and early-era cast members who defined children’s television from the late 1960s through the 70s, 80s, and 90s. These weren’t just puppets on a screen — they were the friendly faces who taught millions of children their ABCs, how to count, and even how to understand kindness, emotions, and diversity.
Long before streaming platforms existed, families gathered around the TV for morning episodes filled with laughter, songs, and life lessons. The tall and gentle Big Bird, the cookie-loving blue monster, the perfectly mismatched roommates Bert and Ernie, and the lovable grouch in a trash can became more than characters — they became cultural icons.
What made these classic Sesame Street characters special wasn’t just their humor. The show revolutionized educational television by blending entertainment with curriculum-based learning. Its early cast helped shape a new era of preschool education that reached children across the United States and eventually around the world.
In this complete guide, you’ll discover:
✔ The most memorable old Sesame Street characters
✔ Which figures were part of the 1969 original lineup
✔ Early fan favorites from the 70s–90s era
✔ Why these characters remain timeless in pop culture
Whether you’re revisiting childhood memories or researching the history of children’s television, this article provides a clear, organized, and nostalgia-filled look at the original stars of Sesame Street.
Boy Names (Old Sesame Street Characters Names for Males)
Ernie
Meaning: A name of English origin meaning “vigorous” or “serious,” which is funny because he is a joker.
Best Suited For: The playful prankster who loves his rubber duckie and lives in apartment 123.
Bert
Meaning: A name of English origin meaning “bright.” He is the straight man to Ernie’s funny guy.
Best Suited For: The organized friend who collects paperclips and bottle caps and loves his pigeon, Bernice.
Grover
Meaning: An English name meaning “one who lives near a grove of trees.”
Best Suited For: The adorable, clumsy monster who works as a waiter and a superhero (Super Grover) and always tries to help.
Oscar
Meaning: An Old English name meaning “divine strength” or “spear of the gods.”
Best Suited For: The green grouch who lives in a trash can and loves being grumpy.
Kermit
Meaning: A Celtic name possibly meaning “free man.” It was the first name Jim Henson gave a Muppet.
Best Suited For: The calm and wise frog who reported the news on Sesame Street before he was famous.
Girl Names (Vintage Sesame Street Names for Girls)
Prairie Dawn
Meaning: A nature name. “Prairie” means a grassy plain.
Best Suited For: The sweet, hardworking girl who loves to write and direct plays with her friends, even when they don’t listen.
Zoe (ZOE-ee)
Meaning: A Greek name meaning “life.” The character was named after a book character.
Best Suited For: The energetic orange monster who loves ballet, her tutu, and her pet rock, Rocco.
Abby Cadabby (A-bee Ka-DAB-ee)
Meaning: A magical name based on the word “Abracadabra.”
Best Suited For: The fairy-in-training who uses magic to solve problems, though her spells often go a little wrong.
Rosita (Ro-ZEE-ta)
Meaning: A Spanish name meaning “little rose.”
Best Suited For: The bilingual monster who plays the guitar and teaches Spanish words to her friends.
Julia (JOOL-yah)
Meaning: A Latin name meaning “youthful.” She was introduced to teach kids about autism.
Best Suited For: The artistic friend who loves to paint and has a unique way of seeing the world.
Unisex Names (Old Sesame Street Names for Any Friend)
Telly
Meaning: Short for “Television,” because he was obsessed with TV when he first started.
Best Suited For: The worrywart monster who gets anxious easily, especially about triangles.
Baby Bear
Meaning: A literal name. He is the baby of the Bear family living on Sesame Street.
Best Suited For: The artistic older brother who loves to paint but struggles to say his “R’s.”
Snuffy (SNUFF-ee)
Meaning: Short for Snuffleupagus. The name comes from the sound he makes.
Best Suited For: Big Bird’s shy, woolly mammoth-like best friend who was once thought to be imaginary.
Rocco (ROCK-oh)
Meaning: An Italian name meaning “rest.” It is a strong name for a very small object.
Best Suited For: Zoe’s “pet” rock. He is quiet, but Zoe loves him dearly.
The Count
Meaning: A noble title. His full name is Count von Count, inspired by the vampire Count Dracula.
Best Suited For: The friendly vampire who loves to count everything, especially with thunder and lightning.
Unique Names (Rare Old Sesame Street Characters Names)
Ovejita (Oh-veh-HEE-ta)
Meaning: The Spanish word for “little lamb.”
Best Suited For: Murray Monster’s quiet, fluffy friend who helps him go on adventures and learn new things.
Grundgetta (Grun-GET-ah)
Meaning: A made-up name that sounds like “grunge” and “grunt,” perfect for a grouch.
Best Suited For: Oscar the Grouch’s girlfriend. She loves trash, arguing, and being messy.
Aloysius (Al-oh-WISH-us)
Meaning: A Latin name meaning “famous warrior.” It is Snuffy’s real first name!
Best Suited For: A very formal and proper name for a very large and fluffy friend.
Bip Bipadotta (Bip Bip-ah-DOT-ah)
Meaning: A funny, musical-sounding name created for a character.
Best Suited For: A character who looked like a human and often sang and danced in funny sketches.
Don Music (Don MYOO-sik)
Meaning: A pun on the name Don Music, as in the music genre “Don Music.”
Best Suited For: The frustrated songwriter who bangs his head on the piano while trying to write classic nursery rhymes.
Funny Names (Silly Vintage Sesame Street Names)
Cookie Monster
Meaning: A very literal name. He loves to eat cookies!
Best Suited For: The blue, googly-eyed monster who will do anything for a cookie and has a famously messy eating style.
Guy Smiley
Meaning: A pun on “guysmile.” He is a game show host with a huge, fake, happy smile.
Best Suited For: The loud, energetic host of silly game shows like “Here is Your Life” and “The Letter of the Day Pageant.”
Sherlock Hemlock (SHER-lock HEM-lock)
Meaning: A pun on the famous detective Sherlock Holmes and the poisonous plant hemlock.
Best Suited For: The world’s greatest detective who is actually not very good at solving mysteries.
The Amazing Mumford (MUM-ford)
Meaning: A stage name for a magician. “Mum” means quiet, like a magic trick.
Best Suited For: A magician whose magic tricks never go as planned, often making things disappear by accident.
Lefty the Salesman
Meaning: “Lefty” is a nickname for someone who is left-handed or sneaky.
Best Suited For: A shady character who always tries to sell Ernie things he doesn’t need, like a “magic” egg.
Trendy / Modern Names (Old Names That Feel New)
Miles
Meaning: A Latin name meaning “soldier.” He was one of the first Black characters on the show.
Best Suited For: The cool son of Gordon and Susan who represented a real urban family.
Gabi (GAH-bee)
Meaning: A Hebrew name meaning “God is my strength.” She was Maria and Luis’s daughter.
Best Suited For: The smart daughter of the Fix-It Shop owners who grew up right on the street.
Elmo
Meaning: A name of Greek origin meaning “protector.” It was originally the name of a background character.
Best Suited For: The little red monster who loves himself and talks about himself in the third person.
Rudy (ROO-dee)
Meaning: A German name meaning “famous wolf.” He is Abby Cadabby’s stepbrother.
Best Suited For: The messy, non-magical monster who sometimes feels left out because he can’t do magic.
Nina (NEE-nah)
Meaning: A Spanish and Hebrew name meaning “little girl” or “grace.”
Best Suited For: The friendly owner of the local bike shop who is a warm and welcoming caregiver.
Fantasy Names (Magical Classic Muppet Names)
Big Bird
Meaning: A simple, descriptive name. He is a big, yellow bird.
Best Suited For: The naive, gentle, and giant six-year-old bird who lives in a nest next to the brownstone.
Mr. Snuffleupagus (SNUFF-el-UP-ah-gus)
Meaning: A made-up name combining “snuffle” (to breathe noisily) and “upagus” (to sound big and prehistoric).
Best Suited For: A giant, shaggy, elephant-like creature who is very shy and speaks very slowly.
Grouch
Meaning: From the word “grouchy,” meaning to complain or be in a bad mood.
Best Suited For: The species of characters who live in trash cans, love slime, and hate everything nice.
Honkers
Meaning: Named after the sound they make, which is a “honk” instead of talking.
Best Suited For: The yellow, bird-like creatures who communicate only by honking their noses.
The Martians (Yip-Yips) (MAR-shuns / YIP-YIPS)
Meaning: Named after the planet Mars and the sound they make: “Yip-yip-yip.”
Best Suited For: The alien creatures with telephoto-lens eyes who are fascinated by simple Earth things like telephones.
Mythical / Historical Names (Old Names with a Story)
Count von Count (Count VON Count)
Meaning: A title of nobility (Count) combined with “von” (German for “from”) and “Count” (a pun on counting).
Best Suited For: The numerical vampire who loves counting and is obsessed with the number 6,969.
Little Bird
Meaning: A simple name meaning “small bird.” He was an old friend of Big Bird’s.
Best Suited For: A small, yellow bird who is like a cousin to Big Bird and helps him learn important lessons.
Gladys the Cow (GLAD-iss)
Meaning: A Welsh name meaning “princess” or “land.” She was a talking cow.
Best Suited For: The rooftop-dwelling cow who loved to gossip and talk about what was happening on the street.
Herbert Birdsfoot (HER-bert BIRDS-foot)
Meaning: A formal-sounding name for a Muppet. He was a professor.
Best Suited For: A scholarly muppet who taught Grover about words and grammar in funny sketches.
Simon Soundman (SIGH-mon SOUND-man)
Meaning: A pun on “soundman.” His job was to make sound effects.
Best Suited For: The character who walked around with a radio for a head, providing the sound effects for the street.
Meaningful / Strong Names (Names with a Purpose)
Gordon (GOR-don)
Meaning: A Scottish name meaning “spacious fort.” He was the first human character.
Best Suited For: The strong, kind father figure and teacher who lived on the street from the very first episode.
Susan (SOO-zan)
Meaning: A Hebrew name meaning “lily.” She was one of the first human characters.
Best Suited For: The loving wife of Gordon and mother figure to the entire neighborhood.
Bob (Bob)
Meaning: A German name meaning “bright fame.” He was one of the original human cast members.
Best Suited For: The friendly music teacher who played guitar and sang songs with the kids.
Luis (Loo-EES)
Meaning: A Spanish name meaning “famous warrior.” He ran the Fix-It Shop.
Best Suited For: The handy, kind, and smart repairman who could fix almost anything with a little help.
Maria (Mah-REE-ah)
Meaning: A Hebrew name meaning “beloved.” She ran the Fix-It Shop with Luis.
Best Suited For: The warm, strong, and funny woman who taught generations of kids about friendship and family.
Conclusion
Looking back at the old Sesame Street characters names is like looking at a photo album from our childhood. These names—from the funny vintage Sesame Street names like Guy Smiley to the sweet names like Prairie Dawn—are more than just labels. They are friends. Each one taught us a lesson about letters, numbers, or how to be a good person.
Whether you were looking for the classic muppet names of the humans or the monsters, we hope you found them here. The street has changed over the years, but the heart of it stays the same. So, the next time you hear one of these old Sesame Street characters names, smile. Remember the song, the laugh, or the lesson that came with it. Share these names with a new friend or a little kid. That way, the neighborhood lives on forever.
FAQ: Old Sesame Street Characters Names
1. Who is the oldest human character with one of the old Sesame Street characters names?
Gordon is one of the very first and oldest human characters. He was on the show from the very first episode in 1969.
2. What is the meaning behind the old Sesame Street characters names like “Grundgetta”?
Names like “Grundgetta” are made-up names designed to sound grouchy. They are meant to fit the personality of the character, in this case, a female grouch who loves trash.
3. Are there any old Sesame Street characters names that come from other languages?
Yes! Rosita is a Spanish name, and Ovejita is the Spanish word for “little lamb.” These names help teach kids about different cultures.
4. Why are some of the old Sesame Street characters names so simple, like “Big Bird”?
The show uses simple names like Big Bird to make it easy for young children to remember who the character is. It is descriptive and direct.
5. Do any of the old Sesame Street characters names have secret meanings?
Sometimes! Snuffy’s real name is Aloysius, which is a very fancy and old name. Abby Cadabby’s name is a play on the magic word “Abracadabra.”
Norman Lewis was a British writer famed for his brilliant travel journalism, sharp cultural insight, and classics like Naples ’44 and Voices of the Old Sea.
