Tiger Woods is one of the most famous golfers in the world and has carved out an incredible career, having won 15 major championships.
However, while his name will forever be remembered among sports fans, 'Tiger' is not the moniker he was given at birth.
Real name
© Getty ImagesTiger was born in Cypress, California, on December 30, 1975, to mother Kultida, who died February 4, 2025, aged 78, and father Earl Woods, an army officer who passed away May 3, 2006, aged 74.
They named him Eldrick Tont Woods, using both his parents' names as inspiration. Eldrick was chosen because it began with the first letter of his dad's name and ended with his mother's first initial.
Tont is also a traditional Thai name, where his mother was from, meaning "beginning" or "firstborn" in English.
Nickname
Tiger's dad is the reason behind his nickname. During his army days, he had a close friend called Colonel Vuong Dang Phong, who was known as 'Tiger'.
© Getty ImagesIn tribute to him, Earl began calling his son 'Tiger' and hoped that one day, his old army buddy would make the connection between the two.
"I knew instinctively that my son was going to have fame," Earl previously told ESPN. "Someday my old friend would see him on television, read about him in a newspaper or magazine, and say, 'That must be Woody's kid', and we'd find each other again."
Sadly, that day never came as Phong passed away, but Earl believed he would have been overjoyed to know Tiger was the son of his friend.
© Getty Images"Phong would be totally flabbergasted by Tiger, completely blown away. He would view him as his own son," Earl said in another interview with Golf Digest.
"He wouldn't know a damned thing about golf, but it wouldn't be necessary. He would be so proud and so happy."
Tiger was known as Eldrick Woods when he was an amateur golfer and only began to use his now iconic nickname once he turned professional.
© Getty ImagesBut those aren't the only two names he has been called. Despite his father giving him his nickname, he never actually called his son 'Tiger'.
"My father had always called me Sam since the day I was born," he previously told the Augusta Chronicle.
"He rarely ever called me Tiger. I would ask him, 'Why don't you ever call me Tiger?' He said, 'Well, you look more like a Sam', I said, 'All right, that's cool.'"
Family traditions
© Getting ImagesTiger was inspired by his father calling him 'Sam' when it came to naming his first born. He and his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren, welcomed daughter Sam Alexis Woods on June 18, 2007.
"We wanted to have a name that would be meaningful to either side of the family, my side or Elin's side," he said during a press conference for the AT&T National in 2007. "Because she was born [the day after] Father's Day. It just happened to fit."
Tiger and Elin also share son Charlie, who has followed in his father's footsteps, making a name for himself on the golf course.
At the 2024 PNC Championship, Charlie hit his first hole-in-one, and his dad couldn't have looked prouder.
