How did JEEP get its name?

by Bob Aldons - Northstar Jeep Brisbane

I asked this question at the recent Jeep Australia 4 Ball Championship played on the Gold Coast recently and all i really got in return was a stare. The internet is a wonderful place to start for most research, but there wasn't a lot of accurate info on this question. From the web site www.didyouknow.it the information below seems to be as good as it gets.

You can find out more by visiting our Jeep Dealership in Redcliffe - put the guys to the test and see what they can tell you - Northstar Jeep for all your Jeep questions and answers.

There are many explanations of the origin of the word “jeep,” which have proven difficult to verify. Probably the most popular notion holds that the vehicle bore the designation “GP” (for “Gov. Purposes” or “General Purpose”), which was phonetically slurred into the word jeep.

Another explanation of the name has it that it was based on a character from the Popeye comic strip in the 1930′s that was known as Eugene the Jeep. This little guy was from another dimension and was blessed with the ability to go anywhere and do anything. He went through walls, scaled huge trees, flew, disappeared, etc. There wasn’t anywhere Eugene the Jeep couldn’t go.

How Did Jeep Get Its Name

•  It is a popular belief that the name ‘jeep’ was derived from the abbreviation of the term G.P., which stood for ‘General Purpose vehicle’.

•  According to historical records, the term G.P. stood for automaker Ford’s nomenclature according to which, ‘G’ meant a vehicle for government’s use and ‘P’ was used to designate its 80-inch wheelbase.

•  In 1949, the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors, a manufacturer of railroad locomotives, launched its "General Purpose" line of automobiles, which were later named as ‘geeps’ and pronounced as ‘jeep’.

•  According to some historians, the word “jeep” was used in Oklahoma, in the 1930’s, to describe specialized trucks that were used in oil drilling.

•  Many people say that history of jeep dates back to the period of World War I, when mechanics in the garages used this term to refer to any new motor vehicle received for a test.

•  Another clarification for the word ‘jeep’ is that it was based on a character named ‘Eugene the Jeep’, which featured in the popular ‘Popeye’ comic strip in the 1930’s. The cartoon character gained instant recognition and became a sensation among the ardent Popeye fans.

•  The word "Jeep" had been also used in reference to a small tractor, manufactured by Moline.