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isecore t1_ja7lwr3 wrote

Reply to comment by iamsce in The Marx Brothers mixing drinks at The Savoy Hotel in London in 1931. Left To Right: Zeppo, Harpo, Chico, and Groucho. by spodinielri0

Technically they're nicknames which became stage-names. Groucho was nicknamed that because he was often in charge of the "grouch bag" i.e. he took care of the money when they were doing vaudeville. Chicos nickname originates from often playing womanizing characters, i.e. Chicks. Harpos nickname comes from his obsession with playing the harp. There are at least two (unconfirmed) theories for Zeppos nickname, it was either derived from the word "Zeppelin" or from imitating a monkey named Mr Zippo.

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DavoTB t1_ja7wugf wrote

Clarifying: Chico “chased the chicks,” as he put it. He was known for this at a young age. It wasn’t given for the characters he played.

Zeppo’s nickname was an evolving story. Sometimes Groucho told the “zeppelin “ story, but sometimes they intimated he was called the name after “a circus freak” that they had seen. One website states that the nickname was based on the German word for “kid.”

Chico’s daughter stated on a documentary that they called him “Zeb” when they owned a farm. They would call each other “Zeke” or “Zeb.” and it later changed to Zeppo.

The other brother, (who was in the group before the films), was “Gummo,” named because he used to wear gumshoes.He left to enlist in the service, and later became a well-known agent in Hollywood.

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isecore t1_ja806px wrote

Thanks for adding that useful info!

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