What was Winnie the Pooh named after?

Answer 1

I think he was named after a bear in London zoo, or that is where AA Milne got the idea from.

Answer 2

I have no idea . . . but it brings to mind one of the funniest greeting cards I've ever seen. It showed Winnie the Pooh talking with 3 real bears in the forest. And the caption, coming from one of the 3 real bears, read: "Winnie the what?"

Answer 3

The character was named after a stuffed bear owned by Milne's son, Christopher Robin Milne. Most of the other characters are also named after toys belonging to Christopher Milne, the exceptions being Christopher Robin himself, and also Owl and Rabbit who are presumably based on real-life animals. Christopher Milne had named his toy after a real bear called Winnipeg, brought to Britain from Canada and whom Milne and his son often saw at London Zoo, and "Pooh", a swan they had met on a holiday (and who appears in When We Were Very Young).

Winnipeg the bear was discovered at a stop in White River, Ontario, by members of The Fort Garry Horse Canadian regiment of cavalry, en route to the battlefields of France during World War I. The bear was smuggled to Britain as the unofficial regimental mascot. Winnie's first owner was Lt. Harry Colebourn. He was the regiment's veterinarian, responsible for their horses. Winnie's eventual destination was to be the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, but at the end of the War, the officers of the Fort Garry Horse decided to allow her to remain in the London Zoo, where she was much loved for her playfulness. She was known as a kind bear and never attacked anyone. This is exactly what inspired Milne to write about Pooh Bear.

Christopher Robin's toy bear is now on display at the Donnell Library Center Central Children's Room in New York.

The forest in which the stories are set is based on the Ashdown Forest in which the Milnes lived. The fictional "Hundred Acre wood" is a named location in the stories. The form of the name appears to follow that of the Five Hundred Acre Wood, which lies just outside of the Ashdown Forest, and includes some of the locations mentioned in the book, such as the Enchanted Place.

wikipedia.com

Answer 4

The character was named after a stuffed bear owned by Milne's son, Christopher Robin Milne. Most of the other characters are also named after toys belonging to Christopher Milne, the exceptions being Christopher Robin himself, and also Owl and Rabbit who are presumably based on real-life animals. Christopher Milne had named his toy after a real bear called Winnipeg, brought to Britain from Canada and whom Milne and his son often saw at London Zoo, and "Pooh", a swan they had met on a holiday (and who appears in When We Were Very Young).

Answer 5

winnie the mooh