As to why this nickname was picked, there are two popular explanations and one that for a long time was put forth by Groucho, which few believe. Next to be dealt a card was Julius, вЂњand hereвЂ™s a card for GrouchoвЂќ. Although, Chico rarely corrected people when they pronounced it wrong, even show hosts whoвЂ™d interview him. This typo gave rise to the misconception that his name should be pronounced as вЂњcheek-oвЂќ, when in fact the correct pronunciation is actually вЂњChick-oвЂќ. Supposedly, a typesetter accidentally left the вЂњkвЂќ in вЂњChicoвЂќ out in one town the brothers were performing in, and his name became вЂњChicoвЂќ instead. You might be wondering at this point, why it was later вЂњChicoвЂќ instead of вЂњChickoвЂќ. (Later, as now, the slang term became вЂњchicksвЂќ, which had actually previously referred to children since the 17th century.) As Groucho later said, Chico got the nickname as he was a вЂњChicken chaserвЂќ. вЂњHereвЂ™s one for вЂChickoвЂ™.вЂќ Leonard Marx was a notorious ladiesвЂ™ man and, in those days, women and girls were often referred to as вЂњchickensвЂќ. вЂњFirst, hereвЂ™s a card for вЂHarpoвЂ™.вЂќ Harpo was the easiest, Adolph Marx played the harp. In this poker game, Fisher was dealing out the cards to the four Marx brothers and he gave them each their nicknames in rapid fire. For instance, common nicknames were things like вЂњJingoвЂќ or вЂњBongoвЂќ or вЂњRingoвЂќ or вЂњTypoвЂќ or вЂњCheerioвЂќ. It was a popular fad around this time to give everyone and anyone a nickname that ended in вЂњoвЂќ. The boys got involved in a poker game in Galesburg, Illinois with monologist Art Fisher. But to all of us who know and love this delightful comedy group, we know these five characters better as Groucho, Harpo, Chico, Gummo, and Zeppo Marx, names four of the five were given one fateful night in 1915. The famed Marx family comedy act was made up of Julius, Adolph, Leonard, Milton, and Herbert Marx. Today I found out four of the five Marx brothers got their nicknames during a poker game.

Marx brothers name