No, Jughead Jones was probably not born with a crown beanie on his head, and his given birth name wasn't Jughead either. Riverdale's favorite resident brooding film buff narrator, played by Cole Sprouse, clearly goes by a nickname, but what is Jughead's real name? For starters, it's a mouthful to say. But it does have some historical significance within his complicated family lineage.
According to the Archie comics, Jughead's actual name is — drumroll, please — Forsythe Pendleton Jones III. Sound kinda familiar? Of course it does, because his dear old dad (Skeet Ulrich) goes by FP, as you probably know by now. FP is apparently the second Forsyth in the Jones family tree and Jug stepped into the role as the third. The title must be pretty important in the Jones brood because Jughead's sister Jellybean's real name is actually called Forsythia. We're sensing a trend... and we would probably go with Jellybean given a choice. It's a pretty sweet moniker. We don't blame either young Jones descendants for wanting to be known by these new names. We can't imagine our beloved Jughead going by a name as stuffy as Forsythe, or being referred to as a "third." We just don't see it.
Jughead's name hasn't really been a focus in the TV adaptation of Riverdale, considering there were clearly bigger mysteries to solve... like murder. But the comics made finding out his name a thing. But where does the nickname Jughead come from? It sounds nothing like Forsythe. Jughead apparently used to be a common term for someone who had big ears, and that's how he originally came to be called something so seemingly random. Cole Sprouse's ears aren't exactly noteworthy in size, so maybe there's more behind this title in the Riverdale universe.
Jughead's name isn't the only mystery on viewer's minds — his beat-up crown hat has also been a topic of discussion. During a Reddit AMA earlier this year, Cole Sprouse revealed that the beanie isn't just a hip fashion choice. The crown symbolizes more than that, and it makes so much sense given his character. The actor explained that he "did a lot of research on the cap when I first got the part. Here's a great little video that does a better job than I could explaining it." According to the clip, the style of hat it's based on — it's known as a "whoopee cap" — was common when the comic debuted back in 1941. Apparently people would cut up fedoras so they would resemble crown-like brimless beanies. Cole went on, "the cap will always stand for a kind of nonconformist, working class symbol, hoping to breathe the same into this version." Thanks for taking your job so seriously, Cole. The more you know...
Jughead's name and his beanie are very intertwined with his character's longtime representation in pop culture, so it's comforting to know the TV adaptation is keeping the image alive for the modern masses. And aside from all the totally sinister and not-at-all wholesome activity going on in Riverdale, a lot of the show's characters actually mirror their comic book selves. Sure, Jason Blossom had a different narrative. And no, Miss Grundy didn't look like that...
Jughead AKA Forsythe Pendleton III is definitely a fan favorite when it comes to Riverdale, and we look forward to learning more about him, whether his past is based on the comics or not. We're petitioning for childhood flashbacks (baby Jug!), the introduction of Jellybean, and basically any more intel we can get our hands on in Season 2. The more Jughead (and Bughead), the better.
