The Eccentric Comedy Act That Gave Hank Williams Jr. His Nickname (And What He Was Almost Named Instead)

When Hank Williams Sr. was born, rumor has it that his father wanted to name him King. His parents settled for the name of a historical monarch as opposed to the title itself: Hiram.

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When Hank Williams Jr. was born, his parents chose a Germanic name that roughly translates to “wolf shield.” By the time he could walk, Junior took on the name of a ventriloquist dummy.

A rose by any other name, right?

Before There Was Hank, There Was Hiram

Despite being colloquially referred to as Hank Sr. and Hank Jr., neither of these Williamses of country music royalty had Hank as a first name. The elder Williams was born Hiram, after the King of Tyre from the Hebrew Bible. According to George Williams Koon’s Hank Williams, So Lonesome, the future country star’s father, Lon Williams, wanted to name his third child King. Hiram was the parents’ compromise.

However, as Williams began pursuing a musical career, he decided to adopt a more “country” moniker. He settled on Hank, which might have been an homage to musicians like Hank Snow. It was under this moniker that he would become a country music legend in his own right. And it was the only name he was willing to pass to his son. As Colin Escott phrased it in his biography of Williams Sr., the “Lovesick Blues” singer “refused” to entertain the idea of naming his son Hiram. Or, as it was misspelled on his birth certificate, “Hiriam.”

Hank Williams Jr. Earned This Nickname As a Baby

Hank Williams Sr. didn’t want to pass down his birth name to his son. But he was willing to share his stage name. Williams Sr. and his wife, Audrey Williams, named their first and only son Randall Hank Williams. It’s unclear why the couple chose Randall. However, it’s worth noting that both his and his father’s names had powerful histories. “Randall” is most commonly attributed to a Norse name meaning “shield” and “wolf.” Not quite a king, but still impressive.

Whatever the reason the Williamses had for naming their son Randall, the name was soon overshadowed by a nickname Williams Sr. gave his young son as a baby. He began calling his child Bocephus after a ventriloquist dummy that comedian Rod Brasfield performed with on the Grand Ole Opry. Some stories say it’s because Williams was such a cute baby, almost like a doll. Other stories say it was a loving dig at the baby’s goofy appearance. It could just as easily have been a silly name Williams gave his son, since he was a “mini” version of him.

Hank Williams Jr. has used all three of his names throughout his career. But more often than not, he’s known as Hank Jr., the namesake of a pioneering country music legend, which had plenty of real-life grandeur attached to it in its own right.

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