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Summary
- Shrek’s name origins lead to some interesting theories among fans, with his hesitation in revealing it at the start of the first film sparking intrigue.
- Shrek’s name, rooted in Yiddish, reflects his character’s nature as a misunderstood and feared ogre with a deeper, cultural significance.
- Shrek’s growth from a rude and misunderstood ogre to a kind-hearted hero over four films demonstrates the importance of looking beyond appearances.
Over 20 years ago, DreamWorks’ iconic selfish and unrelenting green ogre hit the screens and completely turned the casual fairy tale storyline on its head. When Shrek first premiered in theaters back in 2001, no one knew how big of a success it would become. In fact, many employees within the company thought it was going to be just one big joke of a film due to its modern take on a classic tale, but happily, everyone who even had an inkling of doubt was completely wrong.
At the beginning of the very first film, Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) is unapologetically rude, gross, and unhygienic. When he meets people, they are instantly afraid of him, so he happily plays on their instinctive terror and pretends that he actually is a violent and horrible monster. However, when Shrek learns that not everyone is afraid of him, especially his trusty new companion Donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy), he begins to realize that he may have more of a purpose within the world than minding his business and falling in line with negative expectations.
Four full-length films have successfully come out, each one showing just how much the bad-tempered ogre has grown. With this second wind of the franchise’s popularity, fans are beginning to ask some bigger questions about the series. One particular theory about how Shrek came up with his own name has caused quite a stir among fans, but with a little digging, some thorough research, and just getting back to where Shrek’s story all started, we have answers.
Find out just how Shrek got his name.
Shrek
- Release Date
- May 18, 2001
- Runtime
- 90
Did Shrek Make Up His Name on the Spot?
Shrek Hesitates Before Saying His Own Name
What caused this question, did Shrek just make up a name for himself, to even be asked is due to the fact that Shrek hesitates to tell Donkey and Fiona (voiced by Cameron Diaz) what his name is. At the very beginning of the first film, the angry villagers infiltrate Shrek’s swamp, calling him “it,” “thing,” and “beast.” They never address him as an equal, and they certainly have no idea what he prefers to be called. From Shrek’s sense of humor while facing down many men with torches and pitchforks, it is clear that he is used to this kind of negativity and ignorance. However, when Shrek meets Donkey, he realizes that not every creature is afraid of him.
When Donkey asks Shrek what his name is, the massive ogre replies with, “Uhh… Shrek.” He says it like a fact and walks away, but the pause is what throws people off. There have been many fans who believe that he came up with a name on the spot, or possibly even a fake name to avoid a genuine connection with the talking animal. However, a different theory proves to be much more plausible: it has just been a long time since anyone has asked Shrek about his name.
Think about it like this: the people in town have never tried to get to know the ogre in the swamp, so there was never exactly a warm greeting and exchange of pleasantries. Then, because of what people and creatures have naturally heard about ogres, they have all done their best to stay away. The lack of friendship and basic connection has been lost on Shrek for so long that when he is treated as not only an equal, but a hero, he is genuinely caught off guard. Shrek has been used to going undetected for so long that him telling someone who he is, and potentially opening up the door to telling him more about his life, is unusual.
Of course, since the animated film is actually based on a children’s book entitled Shrek!, the big green creature already had an established name. However, now we have a new question: what does “shrek” even mean? The answer may surprise you as it is not just a silly made-up word concocted out of thin air.
Shrek 2 Actually Holds Up Much Better Than the Original and Here’s Why
At two decades old, Shrek 2 continues to hold up today as an excellent sequel film.
The History of the Green Ogre
Who Created Shrek, and What Was His Original Story Like?
Some fans may be surprised to know that Shrek is actually loosely based on William Steig’s children’s bookShrek! The story follows a big, green, ugly ogre named Shrek on a journey to find a much uglier princess after his parents have kicked him out of their home. After meeting a witch, Shrek learns that he is going to come across a donkey who will take him to meet a terribly ugly princess whom he will marry. By the end of the tale, Shrek and the princess are wed, and they are grossly happy that they make such a terrifying and hideous couple.
Now, the book itself does not give an explanation about how Shrek got his name, but taking a look at language as well as Steig’s parentage does give some insight. The name “Shrek” actually comes from the Yiddish word שרעק (shrek) which translates to “fear” or “terror” and is related to the German word, Schreck, which means “fear” or “fright.” Now, taking a look at Steig’s culture, his parents were both Polish-Jewish immigrants, so it would be expected that they spoke Yiddish in their home, even when they moved to Brooklyn, New York and had their son, thus creating a direct connection between the language and the romanticization of Shrek’s name.
Netflix’s Damsel Shares One Thing in Common With Shrek
It seems like Netflix’s new movie has a lot of things in common with the story of a green female ogre from a beloved children’s franchise.
In all, it is actually quite nice to know how simple something like a name can be when it comes to characters in movies and TV series. With Shrek being this big scary ogre that made people run for their lives, it made sense to give him a name that defined exactly who he is. However, within the animated film adaptations, Shrek actually has a good heart. In the first film, he tells Donkey that ogres are like onions; they have layers, but that comparison completely goes over the latter’s head. Shrek then proves, over the course of four (soon-to-be five) films, that he is actually a really great individual.
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