The Story Behind Dwayne Johnson's Childhood Nickname Is Beyond Cute
Everyone knows Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as one of the biggest names in Hollywood. Johnson began his meteoric rise to fame as a professional wrestler before segueing into the world of acting and business ownership (via Biography).
According to Bleacher Report, Johnson's entry into the world of professional wrestling came naturally to him, as he was born and raised in a family of wrestlers. "The Rock ” is the ring name he received during his early wrestling days, and it stuck with him even when he stepped out of the wrestling arena and into Hollywood (per Men's Health). Now, Johnson is one of the highest paid actors in America, with movies like "Jumanji," and entries in the "Fast & Furious" franchise under his belt.
Although most people can't imagine calling Johnson anything other than "The Rock'," he didn't always go by this moniker. His first ring name, "Rocky Maivia," was an amalgamation of his father's first name and his grandfather's last name (per CheatSheet). Johnson's mentor, Pat Patterson, is the one who thought to shorten the name down to "The Rock," and the rest is history.
However, Johnson hasn't always had such cool nicknames. When he was younger, he used to be called something totally different, and the nickname is absolutely adorable.
Dwayne Johnson got this cute nickname as a child
Dwayne Johnson has always discussed the rich history of wrestling within his extended family. Both Johnson's father and grandfather were wrestlers, so the practice of the sport has always been in his blood (via Notable Biographies). With a pedigree like that, you'd expect Johnson to have grown up with a wrestling-inspired nickname, though that wasn't the case. The actor, who's nearly 6-feet tall, was called "Dewey" when he was a child.
Johnson discussed how he got the interesting name during an interview with USA Today. He explained that when his mother once asked if his diaper was wet, his godmother said "No. He's just a little dewy," and that was how, at six months old, the nickname was established. The adorable name would follow him for quite some time — years later when his friends or girlfriends came over to the house, Johnson's family would slip up and call him Dewey. Even after he had become a professional wrestler, WWE producer Pat Patterson, who had known Johnson since he was a child, still referred to him by the name Dewey (per The Richest).
How cute is that?