In the 1988 horror, Child’s Play created by Don Mancini, Chucky used to be a serial killer and was dubbed “The Lakeshore Strangler” by police. Charles tries to escape the authorities but is eventually caught and shot by Detective Mike Norris.

However, Charles went into a toy store and used a voodoo artifact to transfer him into the nearest thing, a Good Guy doll. The doll now inhabited by Charles Lee Ray was sold in a back alley. Then the murders continue.   

Chucky is one of the most notable slasher and horror franchises and has been around since 1988 with the introduction of the film ‘Child’s Play’ and continues to be seen in several remakes and adaptations. 

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What is the meaning of Chucky’s real name?

Chucky’s real name is Charles Lee Ray which was inspired by three distinct murderers — Charles Manson, Lee Harvey Oswald, and James Earl Ray.

Well, that's what it says on the film's IMDb page under the "trivia" section.

According to Screenrant, his first name Charles was inspired by Charles Manson, who is notoriously connected to the Tate-LaBianca murders of 1969 and later died in prison in 2017.  

Manson also created a cult known as the 'Manson Family' whose members became responsible for several other killings. 

His middle name comes from Lee Harvey Oswald who is said to have killed U.S. president J.F. Kennedy — although there have been several conspiracies, he was framed for the crime. Oswald was later shot and killed by Jack Ruby.  

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Lastly, his last name Ray stems from the name James Earl Ray who was convicted of assassinating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. Ray later died in prison in 1998 after serving 29 years of his 99 year sentence for murder. 

This name now gives a new found meaning in Charles Lee Ray’s backstory in the films. These infamous killers were known to and feared by many around the time of the film's inception so it makes sense the creators of the movie would be inspired by these real life murderers. 

Given Chucky's murderous ways it appears he may have taken all the bad parts of his namesakes and used it to become even more terrifying that they were!

The adventures of Chucky can now be seen in the newest adaptation of the 2021 named series broadcasting on the Syfy network.

The series begins when a vintage Chucky doll shows up at a suburban yard sale. Soon a series of murders begins in the town and will reveal secrets of Chucky’s past.

The series joins a long list of others ' For example, 'Bride of Chucky,' 'Curse of Chucky' and more. The character was famously created by writer-director Don Mancini and originally played by Brad Dourif but has since taken on many different voice and live action actors. 

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Sydney Taylor is a writer who focuses on news and entertainment topics.