Supernatural's lead characters almost had completely different names, details revealed

When Supernatural first premiered in 2005, viewers were introduced to Sam and Dean Winchester, two brothers hunting the supernatural across America. Over time, their names became iconic, closely tied to the show’s identity.

However, series creator Eric Kripke has revealed that these names were not part of the original plan. The lead characters almost had entirely different names before production began. In an interview with Starpulse (2008), Kripke explained how legal clearances and creative influences shaped the final decision.

Sam and Dean were originally intended to carry the surname 'Harrison.' Yet last-minute changes forced the production to adopt new names, leading to "Winchester," a title now synonymous with the series.

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How Harrison became Winchester

According to Kripke,

"Originally, the boys' last name was Harrison, which was my tip of the hat to Harrison Ford. At the time, I was focused on how Dean should have the devil-may-care swagger of Han Solo."

However, television production involves legal checks to prevent conflicts with real individuals sharing the same name. Kripke revealed,

"When writers write TV or movie scripts, the lawyers have to clear every name, to make sure a person with that name, from that part of the country, doesn't really exist, so they can't sue us."

This clearance process forced a change:

"There was a Sam Harrison from Kansas, and so Harrison was out," said Kripke.

Under time and pressure just days before production, he had to come up with a new surname quickly. That’s when "Winchester" emerged.

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Why was the name Winchester chosen?

The choice of "Winchester" came from a mix of cultural references and thematic goals. Kripke stated,

"'Winchester' just popped in my head, in part because of the Western connotations (and I wanted ‘Supernatural’ to have the vibe of a modern-day Western), and in part because of the Winchester Mystery House."

The Winchester Mystery House, located in California, is famously tied to legends of hauntings and supernatural lore, making it an apt choice for the series. The name also gave the brothers a rugged, timeless quality that aligned with Kripke’s vision of the show as "a kind of modern-day Western," a theme he consistently aimed to embed into the series.

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The fate of other discarded names

Not only did "Harrison" get dropped, but the family's patriarch was also originally planned to have a different name. Kripke revealed,

"Dad's original name was Jack Winchester... but, you guessed it, there was a Jack Winchester from Kansas."

This required yet another change, resulting in the character becoming "John Winchester." However, Kripke found a way to keep the rejected names close to him.

"I still found a way to put those rejected names to good use—my infant son's name is Jack Harrison Kripke," he told Starpulse.

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How naming fits into Supernatural’s broader mythology

Although names were selected on practical grounds, they resonated strongly with the show's mythology and atmosphere. The Western associations of "Winchester" resonated with Kripke's vision of Supernatural as a road-based epic of two hunters, a storytelling format reminiscent of traditional Westerns but set against the background of urban myths and contemporary America.

Kripke highlighted that these decisions were not so much about secret meanings but about creating a character for the sake of the narrative. For example, he clarified that allusions such as the Winchester Mystery House were not meant as "super-secret show mythology," but instead thematic references that rooted the characters in a broader cultural context.

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Sam and Dean Harrison nearly became a reality, but last-minute alterations provided us with the Winchesters instead.