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How did Dr Pepper get its name?

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📓 The short answer

The origin of Dr Pepper's name is unclear. Theories range from the soft drink being named in honor of different real-life Dr. Peppers to the name being chosen for its marketing potential as a medicinal beverage.

📚 The long answer

If you're unfamiliar with Dr Pepper, it's the oldest major American soft drink. Boasting a blend of 23 flavors, it's a singular type of soda. It's not a cola, not a root beer, not a fruit-flavored drink — it's simply Dr Pepper.

And before you call me out on a missing period in "Dr Pepper," allow me to defend my grammatical honor. "Dr Pepper" is the official name of the soft drink after they dropped the period in the 1950s for stylistic reasons. So please take your typo attacks up with the company, not me, who felt pain each time I was forced to omit the period.

To explore the origin of Dr Pepper's name, we first have to introduce the two key players behind the soda: Wade Morrison and Charles Alderton.

Left: Wade Morrison | Right: Charles Alderton​

In the 1880s, Wade Morrison moved from Virginia to Texas and opened up Morrison's Old Corner Drugstore. Morrison hired Charles Alderton, a young pharmacist, to work at the store. Like many drugstores at the time, Morrison's Old Corner Drugstore had a popular soda fountain where adults and children alike came to enjoy carbonated beverages.

When he wasn't filling pharmacy orders, Alderton enjoyed concocting different soda drinks for customers to try out, one of which ended up being a hit. Inspired by the drugstore's herbal and fruit syrup aromas, Alderton created a popular drink called "Waco," which customers ordered by saying, "Shoot me a Waco."

Around 1885, Morrison decided they needed to officially name the drink and went with Dr. Pepper/Dr Pepper. However, the reason why Dr Pepper was named remains unclear. Even the official Dr Pepper Museum says that, while they've received over a dozen theories, none of them have ever been proven.

Here are five theories why Dr Pepper is called Dr Pepper:

Theory #1: Dr Pepper was named after Dr. Charles T. Pepper to impress him and court his daughter.

This is the most widely cited theory, even appearing on Dr Pepper's corporate website. The story goes that Morrison was in love with the daughter of Dr. Charles T. Pepper, his former employer back in Virginia, so he named his popular carbonated beverage after him to impress his would-be-father-in-law. It's a seemingly sweet story, but it has some holes.

First, the Dr Pepper Museum asserts that there's actually no evidence to support the claim that Morrison was once employed by this Dr. Pepper. Census records show that Morrison did once live in Christiansburg, VA, but this would put him over 50 miles (80 km) away from Dr. Pepper who lived in Rural Retreat, VA. Kind of a long commute for the 19th century, don't you think?

Other sources also point out that the timing of this supposed courtship doesn't quite make sense (or is, at least, gross), as the daughter would have been between 5 and 11 years old at the time, depending on the source. Finally, Morrison never did end up marrying a daughter of Dr. Charles T. Pepper, and Morrison was already married at the time of the soda's naming.

Theory #2: Dr Pepper was named after Dr. Charles T. Pepper to thank him for past employment.

This theory also claims that Morrison once worked for Dr. Charles T. Pepper and named the drink after him as a gesture of goodwill. As with the first theory, there are questions about whether Morrison ever did work for this Dr. Pepper.

Theory #3: Dr Pepper was named after a different Dr. Pepper.

Of course, Dr. Charles T. Pepper was not the only Dr. Pepper around at this time. Another theory says that Dr Pepper was named after a Dr. Pepper that lived in Christiansburg, VA and supposedly employed Morrison. This would put Morrison much closer to a Dr. Pepper, as Morrison once lived in Christiansburg.

If we're sticking with the I-want-to-marry-your-daughter story, the ages here are a bit more plausible. The Christiansburg Dr. Pepper's daughter would have been 16 around the time when Morrison, 17, was working for her father.

Theory #4: Dr Pepper was named purely for marketing purposes.

Around the time of Dr Pepper's rise, it was very common for products to have a "Dr." in the name to emphasize their purported health benefits. Some examples at the time include: Dr. Thomas' Eclectric Oil, Dr. Pierce's Lotion Tablets, Dr. A.W. Chase's Ointment, and Dr. Porter's Antiseptic Healing Oil.

Source: Smithsonian National Museum of American History​

Carbonated beverages were thought to have medicinal benefits at the time, so it's reasonable to assume that the name Dr Pepper would have made it easier to market it as a healthful drink. Early advertisements claimed Dr Pepper "aids digestion and restores vim, vigor, and vitality."

The "Pepper" part of the name may refer to pepsin, a digestive enzyme that breaks down proteins, hinting at the soda's potential digestive benefits. The energy you got after drinking the sugary drink also could make it easier to market the "pep" it gave you.

Theory #5: Dr Pepper evolved from "D Pepper's Pepsin Bitter."

In 2009, an old sales ledger from Morrison's drug store was found to include the recipe for a "D Pepper's Pepsin Bitter."

John Castles, who co-ran the drugstore with Morrison, invented this medicinal concoction. This theory suggests that it was Castles' recipe which evolved into the Dr. Pepper drink, and carried a hint of the original name.

However, when this document was discovered, a spokesperson for the Dr Pepper Snapple Group contradicted the theory by saying that the ingredients in this recipe bore little resemblance to the drink's actual formula. Of course, the Dr Pepper formula is a closely guarded secret and the original formula may have been different than today's drink.

--- Thanks for reading this week's newsletter! If you have any thoughts, questions, or favorite GIFs, my inbox is always open. Just hit reply to send me a note! :) ​ All my best, Caitlin ​Click here to read five facts about Caitlin​

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​Sources for this week's newsletter​

📖 Book of the week

​The Great Influenza by John M. Barry​

Not for the faint of heart, this book details the grisly accounts of the influenza pandemic of 1918 (also known as the Spanish Flu, though it most likely originated in Kansas, U.S.A.). It is wide-sweeping, covering the state of medical research at the time, the significance of World War I in the (lack of) public health efforts, and the brave or cowardly leadership decisions that either saved or cost lives.

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​Check out the full list of books I've recommended here.

👀 Catch up on other curious questions

• ​What does "natural flavors" mean?​​
• ​Why doesn't the U.S. use the metric system?​​
• ​Why do dogs stick their head out the window?​​

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