7 Dwarfs Names – Fun Facts About Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs

Remembering the 7 dwarfs names from Snow White may not be as easy as you think. If you’re searching for the names of everyone’s favorite little Disney characters, I’ve got those plus lots of trivia too (for example, you may be surprised to find that these weren’t even the original names of the seven dwarfs).

Originally posted June 2021 – Updated April 2023

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 the film “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 that German fairy tale, the original 7 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. Even then, the dwarfs had different names.

According to Wikipedia, in the Broadway show they had the names Blick, Flick, Glick, Snick, Plick, Whick and Quee. Crazy, right? Luckily, Walt didn’t go with these prior versions of Snow White and the dwarfs finally got the names we know and love with Disney’s Snow White movie.

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, Jumpy and Deafy as names for the dwarfs was a smart move on their part!

The Disney film was finally released in 1937 and that’s when the world was introduced to the seven Disney dwarfs that we know and love today!

The movie 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.

The Story

In Walt Disney’s first animated film, the Wicked Queen (Snow White’s evil stepmother) is jealous of her step daughters beauty. The queen sends a huntsman to kill her, but he can’t bring himself to do it and lets her go.

Lost in the forest, Snow White stumbles upon a little cottage and makes herself at home. When the dwarfs return from work, they are surprised to discover the sleeping Snow White. Once she tells them her story, the dwarfs take pity on her and agree to let her stay (it probably doesn’t hurt that she’s willing to do all the cleaning!).

When the queen discovers that Snow White is still alive, she tries to kill her (again!) with a poison apple. Luckily a handsome prince discovers the sleeping Snow White and breaks the spell with a magic kiss.

And with that, Snow White lives happily ever after…

Think you know all the seven dwarfs names? Keep reading to find out about how to recognize them and how their individual personalities make them stand out!

7 Dwarfs Names And Fun Facts

Here’s a list of Snow White’s BFF’s, in no particular order:

• Dopey
• Doc
• Bashful
• Sneezy
• Happy
• Grumpy
• Sleepy

If you thought you knew everything there was to know about these little guys, you may be surprised…

Dopey

If there’s one that’s most known among the seven, it’s has to be Dopey! Arguably the most popular dwarf, Dopey is the youngest and instantly recognizable in his green tunic. In addition to the oversized tunic, he wears a purple hat and is also the only one of the seven dwarfs that doesn’t have white hair.

Dopey is usually everyone’s favorite character. While voice actor Mel Blanc (also the voice of Bugs Bunny) was originally considered for the voice of Dopey, he ended up being the only dwarf who doesn’t talk.

Fun blooper: 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 is arguable the leader of the group. With a white beard and wire-rimmed glasses, you can also tell him apart by the yellow hat and orange-brown tunic.

As the leader of the group, Doc has a bossy attitude and is constantly clashing with Grumpy. His personality is a bit flustered and it was Walt’s idea that he would sometimes need the other dwarfs to remind him where he is. If he 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, making him one of the more adorable dwarfs. This cute little guy can regularly be found blushing and hiding his rosy cheeks behind his beard.

He’s also a romantic at heart and has a crush on Snow White. This is clear when he suggests that she read the dwarfs a love story but unfortunately for him, she only has eyes for her prince.

Sneezy

Poor Sneezy! Like the name suggests, he’s cursed with a severe case of hay fever and his powerful sneezes can be heard throughout the entire movie. His allergies even effect his speech patterns, probably due to the fact that he always has a stuffy nose.

Did you know that 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!

Like the other dwarfs, Happy sports a white beard but it’s easy to tell him apart because he’s the only one that wears blue pants.

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.

Did you know that the same person, Pinto Colvig, was the voice behind both Grumpy and Sleepy? He 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

One of the most interesting facts is that the seven 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 “Disney’s Folly” because they were convinced it would fail. Guess Walt proved them all wrong!

Where To See The Seven Dwarfs At Disney World

While you can usually meet Snow White year round, it’s not quite as easy to meet Dopey and the rest of the dwarfs. Your best bet for a meet and greet is to catch them at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Just be prepared…the longs for this meet & greet are usually pretty long!

The rest of the year, you can catch them in the Festival Of Fantasy Parade at Magic Kingdom.

You can also see animatronic dwarfs when riding the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. The train goes through their mine and you can see them collecting gems. Peek into the little cottage at the end of the ride and you’ll see them enjoying a dance with Snow White.

More Disney Fun

Now that you know all the seven dwarfs names from Snow White, check out the Complete List Of Disney Princesses. It comes with a free printable and you’ll also learn lots of fun facts about our favorite Disney royalty!