Summary

• The Beast's real name is never revealed in the movie, sparking debates among fans and creators alike.
• Despite common belief, the Beast is not officially named Adam in any Disney adaptations, even though licensed products suggest otherwise.
• Various adaptations of Beauty and the Beast outside Disney offer different names for the Beast, reflecting the time and context of each version.

Beauty and the Beast doesn’t reveal the Beast’s real name, but there’s one that is widely believed to be his official name. Beauty and the Beast, released in 1991 and directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, is based on the 1756 French fairy tale of the same name by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. The movie follows Belle, a book-loving, independent-minded girl imprisoned by a Beast in his castle. The Beast is actually a prince who was cursed (as well as his servants) for his arrogance, and the only way he could break the curse was by learning to love.

Although Walt Disney Pictures has produced all types of movies for decades, it is best known for its princess movies, which have brought a very peculiar type of magic to the big screen. It all began back in 1937 with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and her Prince Charming. Prince Charming wasn't that Prince's real name, but the term stuck, and many of the Disney princes have been dubbed with that nickname ever since. The Beast's prince, however, does have an unofficial name.

The Movie Never Reveals The Beast's Name

Some writers have even said that they were so busy working on the movie that they simply forgot to give him a name.

The movie never mentions the real name of the Beast. The character is even credited as the Beast instead of the Prince. Trousdale and Wise confirmed in the Beauty and the Beast DVD and Blu-ray commentary that he never had an actual name. While that might seem odd to modern movie audiences, there are often characters simply credited as "shopkeeper" or "townsperson" in animated movies. The only reason it's so unusual here is that the Beast is a main character.

Some writers have even said that they were so busy working on the movie that they simply forgot to give him a name. It was also believed that the animators and other crew members referred to the Beast as “Adam” during production, as shared by Paige O’Hara (the voice of Belle), but this has been denied a couple of times.

However, in the diamond edition of the Beauty and the Beast Blu-ray, supervising animator Glen Keane said he kept a quote from the Bible with him while animating the Beast’s transformation, which would have influenced the decision to name him Adam, as that is the Bible's first man. Of course, this might have been a recent addition to the debate, as he had previously said that they didn’t give a name to the character.

Why So Many Believe The Beast's Name Is Adam

It is believed by many Disney fans that the Beat's name is Adam despite the name not appearing in the credits. He is even listed as such on many sites dedicated to all things Disney. This is because he has appeared as “Adam” in a number of licensed products by Disney, as well as in the 1998 video game The D Show, which was actually licensed out to a company named Cyberflix, and wasn’t developed by Disney at all.

Still, the Mouse House has taken advantage of that, and there’s even a plaque in Walt Disney World’s Port Orleans Riverside Royal Rooms that states his name is Adam. It isn't uncommon for Disney to have characters named once their licensed images are used in other merchandise. Prince Charming of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, for example, is called Prince Florian thanks to merchandise for the movie as well. In certain countries, however, he's also called Fernando instead.

No matter what all the licensed products say, the truth is that the Beast doesn’t have an official name. Luckily, it’s not a detail that changes or affects the character or the story of Beauty and the Beast, but some people (understandably) like knowing the basic details about the main characters of their favorite movies.

Do Other Beauty & The Beast Versions Give The Character A Name?