'Hey Arnold' Creator Confirms Arnold's Full Name

A decades-long mystery was put to rest once and for all at this year's Comic-Con: The last name of Arnold from Hey Arnold! has been officially revealed. (And no, it's not Fuhtbahled— but great guess!) Over the weekend, BuzzFeed sat down with Hey Arnold! creator Craig Bartlett at the San Diego pop culture convention to talk about the beloved Nickelodeon animated series' past, present, and future (heeeey, Jungle Movie ). And during said talk, he confirmed the show protagonist's full name (and whaddya know, the internet was right! *High-fives internet.*).

Here’s what Bartlett told BuzzFeed:

Yes, [his last name is Shortman]. That one has just become a fact, but we still are going to do a joke where he reveals his last name in The Jungle Movie — just to confirm it. [And] I think [Arnold’s middle name] should be Phillip. Arnold P. Shortman, after Phil, his grandpa.

There you have it. Just as many fans suspected, Arnold's full name is Arnold Phillip Shortman.

Now, if “Shortman” rings a bell, it’s for good reason: “Short Man” is Grandpa Phil’s nickname for Arnold. Yes, Grandpa Phil's sobriquet for his grandson also happens to be their shared last name (er, I presume it's their shared last name— Grandpa Phil is Arnold's paternal grandfather).

Arnold’s last name was under our noses this whole time. Arnold’s last name was calling from inside the house. Holy Stick Stickly.

Well, I'll be gum sculpture hidden in the back of a closet.

Images: Nickelodeon; huluperfectgif/tumblr