Dub Name Change/English to German

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • Biker Mice From Mars
    • Throttle to Rieco (probably because it's close to "Trottel", meaning "idiot, klutz")
  • Discworld to Scheibenwelt
    • Samuel Vimes to Samuel Mumm
  • Disney
    • Disney Ducks Comic Universe
      • Scrooge McDuck to Dagobert Duck
      • Huey, Dewey and Louie to Tick, Trick and Track
      • Gladstone Gander to Gustav Gans
      • Gus Goose to Franz Gans
      • Gyro Gearloose to Daniel Düsentrieb
      • Flintheart Glomgold to Mac Moneysac
      • Magica De Spell to Gundel Gaukeley
      • Beagle Boys to Panzerknacker
      • John D. Rockerduck to Klaas Klever
      • Ludwig von Drake to Primus von Quack
      • Cornelius Coot to Emil Erpel
      • Duckburg to Entenhausen
    • DuckTales (1987) and Darkwing Duck
      • Launchpad McQuack to Quack der Bruchpilot
      • Gizmoduck to Krachbumm-Ente (in DuckTales (1987)) or Dingsbums Duck (in Darkwing Duck)
      • Drake Mallard to Eddie Erpel
      • Gosalyn to Kiki
      • Honker Muddlefoot to Alfred Wirrfuß
      • Negaduck to Fiesoduck
      • Steelbeak to Eisenbeiß
      • Taurus Bulba to Toro Bulba
    • Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers to Chip und Chap - Die Ritter des Rechts
      • Dale to Chap
      • Gadget to Trixi
      • Monterey Jack to Samson
      • Zipper to Summi
      • Fat Cat to Al Katzone (a pun on Al Capone and the German word for cat (Katze), and probably also on pizza calzone)
    • Tale Spin to Käpt'n Balu und seine tollkühne Crew
      • Kit Cloudkicker to Kit Wolkenflitzer
      • Don Karnage to Don Kanaille
      • Colonel Spigot to Oberst Kübel
    • Kim Possible
      • DNAmy to DNEsther, as Säure is German for "acid"
      • Gil/Gill to Gil/Nixon (which sounds like Nixen "mermaids")
      • the tweebs to die Zwombies (Zwillinge "twins" + Zombies)
  • Harry Potter
    • Hermione Granger to Hermine Granger
    • Tom Marvolo Riddle to Tom Vorlost Riddle (in order to make the "I am Lord Voldemort"-anagram workable in German)
    • Rita Skeeter to Rita Kimmkorn
    • Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank to Wilhelmina Raue-Pritsche
    • Sirius Black to Sirius Schwarz (only in some early editions of Philosopher's Stone, where he was briefly mentioned)
    • Moony, Prongs, Padfoot and Wormtail to Moony, Krone, Tatze and Wurmschwanz
    • Buckbeak to Seidenschnabel
    • Scabbers to Krätze
    • Crookshanks to Krummbein
  • The Lord of the Rings to Der Herr der Ringe
    • The Shire to 'das Auenland'. JRR Tolkien in his translation guide supplied the closest direct translation as Gau, but added that this might need to be replaced due a possible recently acquired bad connotation. The translator thought it so, and she created the new name Auenland (Auen being the oft-flooded land along rivers), which is not a direct translation but evokes a peaceful rural atmosphere befitting of the Shire.
    • Elves to 'Elben'. Here again, Tolkien himself had a hand in this. The usual German translation for elves is Elfen. But like its English counterpart (before LotR), the image it evokes was more that of pixie- or fairy-like creatures, an association Tolkien desired to avoid, supposing instead the older, less-used term Alb(en)/Elb(en) for the translation.
  • Marvel Comics
    • (Note: A lot of these are old and may no longer be used in current translations) Older translations tended to translate the English names directly to German, while nowadays they are usually kept in English.
    • The Avengers to Die Rächer
      • (The Avengers from TV became Mit Schirm, Charme und Melone - "with umbrella, charm and a bowler")
    • Blitzkrieg to Elektroblitz or E-Blitz
    • Daredevil to Devil-Man, then Der Dämon ("the demon")
    • Dr. Doom to Dr. Unheil, then Dr. Doom
    • Dr. Strange to Dr. Seltsam (same as Dr. Strangelove), then Dr. Strange
    • The Fantastic Four (FF) to Die Fantastischen Vier (FV)
    • The Grim Reaper to Der Grimme Schnitter
    • Hawkeye to Falkenauge (they changed the "H" on his cowl to an "F")
    • Invisible Girl/Woman to Die Unsichtbare ("the invisible one")
    • Iron Man to Der Eiserne ("the iron one", the literal translation "Eisenmann" would have been too close to Iceman's German name, presumably)
    • Kraven to Memrod, then Kraven
    • Nightmare to Nachtmahr
    • The Red Ghost to Der Geist ("the ghost")
    • The Scarlet Witch to Die Scharlachhexe
    • Spider-Man to Die Spinne ("the spider", grammatically feminine)
      • In Spider-Man vs. Wolverine (1987), Peter Parker had to buy a Spider-Man suit in West Berlin. It featured "DIE SPINNE" in large letters on the spider-symbol on the back.
    • The Watcher to Der Beobachter ("the observer")
  • Sesame Street to Sesamstraße
    • Big Bird to Bibo
    • Grover to Grobi
    • Cookie Monster to Krümelmonster (lit. "crumbs monster")
    • Mr. Snuffleupagus/Snuffy to Schnuffi
    • Herry Monster to Lulatsch
    • Count von Count to Graf Zahl (lit. "Count Number")
  • The Simpsons to Die Simpsons
    • Santa's Little Helper to Knecht Ruprecht (after a traditional German, more scary companion to St. Nicholas)
    • Sideshow Bob to Tingeltangel-Bob ("Vaudeville Bob")
    • Sideshow Mel to Tingeltangel-Mel
  • The Worst Witch to Eine Lausige Hexe
    • Mildred Hubble to Mildred Hoppelt
    • Maud Moonshine to Mona Mondschein
    • Enid Nighshade to Edith Nachtschatten
    • Ethel Hallow to Esther Edel
    • Drusilla Paddock to Drusilla Blaumilch
    • Ruby Cherrytree to Ruby Kirschenkern
    • Griselda Blackwood to Griselda Schwarzberg
    • Fenella Feverfew to Fenella Feuerfee
    • Clarice Crow to Clarissa Kräusel
    • Miss Hecketty Broomhead to Frau H. Brummschädel
    • Frank Blossom to Frank Blütenstaub
    • Algernon Rowan Webb to Algernon Wunschstein-Flopp
    • Merlin Longstaff to Merlin Langohr
    • Miss Cackle to Frau Graustein
    • Miss Hardbroom to Frau Harschmann
    • Miss Bat to Frau Maus
    • Miss Imogen Drill to Frau Limone Drill


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