There are few names on TV that sound as overtly cool as Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) onSupernatural. The name tells it all. If two guys named Winchester are hunting monsters, you know that they’ll see the job through. But how didEric Kripkedecide on the name? Was it simply a reference to the firearm? Well, not exactly. Originally, Kripke had another name in mind entirely, but Winchester ultimately won out — and we’re glad it did.
Eric Kripke Named Sam and Dean “Winchester” for a Few Different Reasons
In a 2008 interview withStarPulse, Kripke revealed that Winchester wasn’t Kripke’s first choice for Sam and Dean’s iconic surname. Originally,he wanted to call them Sam and Dean Harrison, as a reference toHarrison Ford. In many ways, Ford’s Han Solo was the initial inspiration for Dean’s devil-may-care attitude, and it was films like the originalStar WarsandIndiana Jonesthat inspired the filmmaker in his youth. “Anyway, there was a Sam Harrison from Kansas, and so Harrison was out,” the creator revealed, noting that the studio was forced to check every name vigorously. But where did the Winchester name come from?
“I was a few days away from production and had to come up with a new name in a hurry,” Kripke continued."‘Winchester’ just popped in my head, in part because of the Western connotations (and I wantedSupernaturalto have the vibe of a modern-day Western), and in part because of the Winchester Mystery House." Kripke has long been on the record stating thatSupernatural—at least at the very beginning— should be considered something of a modern day supernatural Western. That’s why the mysterious Colt gun factored so heavily into the mythology, andwhy many still want a WesternSupernaturalspin-off. Strangely, Sam and Dean’s surname wasn’t the only name changed before production started.
20 Years After Its Debut, ‘Supernatural’ Is Still Setting Viewership Records
Carry on my wayward son.
WhileJeffrey Dean Morgan’s John Winchestermay feel like aSupernaturalstaple these days, his name was originally supposed to be Jack. Of course,because there was a real Jack Winchester in Kansas, his name was changed to John instead. “But I still found a way to put those rejected names to good use,” Kripke added. “My infant son’s name is Jack Harrison Kripke.” It’s hard to imagine Sam and Dean Harrison being as effective as Sam and Dean Winchester, and we’re glad we’ll never have to. There’s a reason that the Winchester name works so darn well, and it’s largely due to the spiritual (and Western) connotations already attached to the name.
‘Supernatural’ Never Tackled the Winchester House, but It Should Have
As Kripke revealed, the Winchesters got their name due tothe infamous Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California. This Victorian-style mansion is known for its myths, legends, and apparent haunting, andwas owned by Sarah Winchester, the widow of the actual gunmaker William Wirt Winchester. Plenty of projects have highlighted this mysterious manor over the years, butSupernaturaltragically never tackled the idea itself. It’s a shame too, since it could haveeasily been a meta-inspired narrativeabout how their descendant was haunted by vengeful spirits. Of course, even more interesting than the name itself are the reasons why Sarah Winchester constructed the manor in the way she did. As rumor has it, she was a spiritualist who was haunted by the ghosts of those killed by Winchester rifles. As a result, she built the home in a way where they could wander freely. (Or, so the ghost story goes.) The truth is, there’s no evidence of this whatsoever,but it would’ve been a killerepisode ofSupernatural.
