If you ask four 4×4 fans where is the all terrain the name comes from, you may get four separate answers. One popular theory is that World War II soldiers nicknamed their 1/4-ton 4x4s “jeeps” after Popeye’s cartoon sidekick, Eugene-the-Jeep. The only problem is that the military used the word jeep years before the Popeye comics, but even in the military it meant something very different than it does today.
What is the original meaning of Jeep?
The word jeep was originally military slang for a new and untested soldier. It also came to mean a new, untested vehicle. The first records of its use date back to World War I, according to motor trend. So the word jeep actually predates the WWII 1/4 ton 4×4 that would become synonymous.
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Willys and Ford co-designed the 1/4 ton 4×4 that transported Allied troops during World War II. After the new “Quad” won the government contract, Willys held a press event in February 1941. To introduce their 4×4, the company drove one up the steps of the United States Capitol. When test driver Irving “Red” Housman referred to the vehicle as a “jeep”, the press printed the new name and it stuck.
One reason soldiers may have kept saying “jeep” during the war was that Ford’s version of the 1/4 ton 4×4 was actually called the “Ford GP.” In this case, GP was not referring to a “general purpose” vehicle. Instead, the G stood for “Government Contract” and the P was Ford’s designation for an 80-inch wheelbase.
After the war, Willys-Overland began building a “civilian jeep” or CJ for short. The automaker applied for a trademark for Jeep, which the government finally granted in 1950.
What kind of animal is Eugene the Jeep?
A 1936 Popeye comic introduced “Eugene-the-Jeep”. In this case, a jeep was some kind of magical, interdimensional dog. The clever little fellow could walk through walls, teleport, and climb just about anything. But he could only say the word “jeep”.
Meet Eugene in the following video:
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Eugene appeared in many Popeye comics and even in the TV adaptation. When the United States entered World War II, Eugene-the-Jeep was a part of popular culture.
In the 1940s, the military was still using “jeep” to describe an untested vehicle. But the word had also become civil slang for something extraordinary.
When the average American opened a February 1941 newspaper to see a picture of the army’s miraculous new 4×4 “jeep,” they probably assumed this name came from Popeye’s agile friend. Decades later, the myth persists that soldiers gave the name to Popeye’s partner’s jeep.
Is Jeep a proper name?
Jeep is a unique word, as it is in the dictionary as a proper and improper noun. “Jeep” in all caps refers to the modern brand of SUV. But lowercase jeep is slang for 4×4 vehicles, and the slang word predates the brand’s trademark in 1950.
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In some parts of the world where Jeep does not sell SUVs, each 4×4 is called a jeep. In North America, fans of the Jeep brand are a bit more selective in how they use the word. You wouldn’t hear an American refer to a trail-ready Ford Bronco as his “jeep.” That would be downright confusing.
So there you have it. Some Jeep fans say their beloved SUV is named after a cartoon character, others say it’s a slur for “GP,” and still others chalk it up to World War I slang. What is the true origin of Jeep? You can decide for yourself.
Learn about the origins of the Wrangler name below, or see the evolution of the Jeep in the video below:
Learn more about the Jeep brand in this following video:
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