Need the names of the seven dwarfs from Snow White? If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my Disney princess list, it’s that people are always searching for the names of Disney characters. Since I’m all about Disney, I figured it was about time I started sharing more, starting with the seven dwarfs names.
Whether you’re just trying to remember the names of the seven dwarfs or want to learn more about them, you’ve come to the right place. Even the biggest Disney fans might forget one or two so I’ve got the complete list and more!
The Original Seven Dwarfs
Before there was Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, the original Brothers Grimm version had their own version in the 1812 collection of stories, Grimms’ Fairy Tales.
In the original German version of the tale, the dwarfs didn’t even have names. It wasn’t until 100 years later when Winthrop Ames turned the original fairy tale into a Broadway play in New York.
According to Wikipedia, the dwarf’s names in the Broadway show were Blick, Flick, Glick, Snick, Plick, Whick and Quee. Crazy, right? Several versions of the story later, the dwarfs finally got the names we know and love. I don’t know about you but I’m pretty happy that the original names didn’t stick!
Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs
Even then, it didn’t go quite the way most of us though. When Walt Disney decided to tell the story of Snow White in his first animated feature film, there were 16 dwarfs.
Nine of the dwarfs didn’t make the cut though. Some were cut by Disney producers because they worried that the names were too offensive for a Disney movie. I’m pretty sure that cutting Tubby, Baldy and Deafy was a smart move on their part!
The movie was finally released in 1938 and that’s when the world was introduced to the dwarfs (and dwarf names) that we know and love today!
Fun Fact: The animated film was a huge success from the start. The National Film Registry selected it as one of the first 25 films for preservation and it also made the American Film Institute’s List of the 100 Greatest American Films.
Think you know all the names of the dwarfs? Keep reading to find out!
What are the names of the seven dwarfs?
- Dopey
- Doc
- Bashful
- Sneezy
- Happy
- Grumpy
- Sleepy
Dopey
If there’s one dwarf everyone remembers, it’s Dopey! He’s instantly recognizable in his green tunic and purple hat and is also the only dwarf that doesn’t have white hair.
Dopey is usually everyone’s favorite character.
Fun Fact: When Snow White is kissing all the dwarfs on their foreheads, she stops at Dopey and says “Oh Dopey.” Her lips never move though.
Doc
Doc, the leader of the group, is easy to tell apart from the rest of the dwarfs because he wears glasses. He’s also the one in the yellow hat and orange-brown tunic.
As the leader of the group, Doc has a bossy attitude and is constantly clashing with Grumpy. Walt His personality is a bit flustered and it was Walt Disney’s idea that he would sometimes need the other dwarfs to remind him where he is. If Walt did this to give Doc a little more charm and vulnerability, I think it worked!
Doc was voiced by Roy Atwell, a comedian who was constantly stammering and using mixed up language in his acts. Since that’s one of Docs primary character traits, I think that made him a pretty good fit.
Bashful
True to his name, Bashful is shy, self conscious and gets embarrassed easily This cute little guy can regularly be found blushing and hiding behind his beard.
He’s also a romantic at heart, which is clear when he suggests that Snow White read the dwarfs a love story. He clearly has a crush on her but unfortunately for him, she only has eyes for her prince.
Sneezy
Poor Sneezy! Cursed with a severe case of hay fever, he sneezes his way through the entire movie. His allergies even effect his speech patterns, probably due to the fact that he always has a stuffy nose.
Fun Fact: Billy Gilbert, the voice behind Sneezy, was a radio comedian famous for his sneezing routine. I’d say the he was a pretty good fit for the job!
Happy
It’s no surprise that Happy is the most cheerful and fun of all the dwarfs. While he was originally planned as more of a comically tragic character, obviously that didn’t stick. Happy loves food, parties and dancing, making him the dwarf I’d most want to hang with!
Grumpy
Grumpy is the dwarf in the brown hat and red tunic but you don’t need that to pick him out of a crowd. He’s easy to spot because he’s the one with his arms crossed in a huff and giving his fellow dwarfs annoyed looks. Deep down he’s a good guy but it takes a lot for him to show it.
Fun fact: Pinto Colvig, the voice behind both Grumpy and Sleepy, was also the original voice of Goofy.
Sleepy
Sleepy wears the yellow-brown tunic but that’s not what you notice first. All you have to do is look for the for droopy eyelids and you can pick Sleepy out of a crowd. He has a tired look that makes you think he could slip into a nap at any second. If he’s this tired now, imagine if he had kids!
In order to make Sleepy look, well, constantly sleepy, animator Fred Moore always drew one eye larger than the other or one eye half shut. Even when there’s lots of excitement around, he’s always trying hard to stay awake.
Fun Fact: Before Pinto Colvig was selected, Sterling Holloway was in the running to be the voice of Sleepy. He didn’t get it but don’t feel too bad for him. He eventually went on to become the voice of Winnie The Pooh.
Who voiced the seven dwarfs?
The seven dwarfs were voiced by the following actors/performers:
- Dopey – Eddie Collins (with vocal effects by Jimmy MacDonald)
- Doc – Roy Atwell
- Bashful – Scotty Mattraw
- Sneezy – Billy Gilbert
- Happy – Otis Harlan
- Grumpy – Pinto Colvig
- Sleepy – Also Pinto Colvig
Who voiced the other main characters?
- Snow White – Adriana Caselotti
- The Prince – Harry Stockwell
- Evil Queen – Lucille La Verne
- The Huntsman – Stuart Buchanan
More Snow White Trivia
The dwarfs are all modeled after real people.
During one recording session, Disney animators asked Lucille La Verne if she could voice the Evil Queen with more of a raspier, rougher voice. She left and came back a few minutes later with just the voice they were looking for. They asked how she did it and she simply said “I just took my teeth out”.
Walt Disney was able to build Disney Studios with the profit that he made from Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs.
At 14, Snow White is the youngest of all the Disney princesses.
When the movie won an academy award, it was given a regular Oscar and seven mini ones.
There were even more rejected names before the Disney team decided on the final seven. Some of these included Awful, Biggy-Wiggy, Blabby, Dirty, Gabby and more. Now I have even more of a soft spot for the dwarfs’ names they finally went with!
With room built in for inflation, this movie is the highest grossing animated film of all time. The funny thing about that is that before it was released, Hollywood was calling the movie “Walt Disney’s Folly” because they were convinced it would fail. Guess Walt proved them all wrong!
Think you know your princesses? Check out the Complete List Of Disney Princesses for a free printable and lots of fun facts!
