The Flintstones Frequently Asked Questions List

20. What were Wilma and Betty's maiden names? Wilma's maiden name presents one of those consistency problems mentioned in the previous question. In "The Entertainer" (P-44), old friend Greta Gravel remembers her as "Wilma Pebble." This is confirmed by another old friend, Rodney Whetstone, in "Dial S for Suspicion" (P-74). So far, so good. But later episodes such as "Bachelor Daze" (P-112) identify Wilma's mother's surname as having been "Slaghoople" prior to Fred and Wilma's marriage. While it is possible that Wilma's mother was originally married to a Pebble and later to a Slaghoople, with Wilma retaining her father's name--indeed, a number of other surname-switching possibilities come to mind, though each would seem somewhat anachronistic in the stone-age 1960s--"Bachelor Daze" is such a crucial episode in terms of establishing the characters' personal history that many prefer to acknowledge the inconsistency and accept "Slaghoople" as Wilma's true maiden name (as do The Flintstone Kids and the live-action Flintstones movie.) No such difficulties exist in the case of Barney's beloved. "Bachelor Daze" gives Mrs. Rubble's original name as Betty Jean McBricker. Table of Contents | Next FAQ This Page Maintained by John Paul Murphy