Which Real-Life Figures Bill Watterson Named Calvin and Hobbes After
Related WhileCalvin and Hobbeshave become household names , as readers of the popular comic strip link the names with the youngster and his stuffed Panthera tigris , cartoonist Bill Watterson actually name the characters after real - lifespan figure . According to Watterson , Calvin is named after 16th - century theologian John Calvin , while Hobbes is named after the philosopher Thomas Hobbes . However , the names seem to be just nods , with each physical body not necessarily really representingCalvin and Hobbes’personalities or motivations ....