How Bear Grylls Really Got His Name

There are a few very good reasons why you might recognize Bear Grylls' name. He happens to be a hardcore outdoor adventurer and an expert when it comes to dealing with whatever nature might throw at him. Because of that, he's appeared on plenty of shows like Worst-Case Scenario, Running Wild with Bear Grylls, and Netflix's interactive series You vs. Wild, while also acting as a producer for many of his projects, per IMDb. That's right, he seems to have exactly what it takes to make it as a survivalist star, which is why he's earned so many fans over the years. In fact, according to his website, his Discovery Channel series Man vs. Wild "became one of the most-watched shows on the planet, reaching an estimated 1.2 billion viewers" during its time.

But how much do you really know about Grylls? For instance, were you aware of how he survived getting fired from Man vs. Wild or which of his stunts were fake? On top of that, you may or may not know how he makes his money and how much he's really worth (hint: it's a lot). Of course, there's also the intriguing trivia-like tidbit about his name.

Would Bear Grylls by any other name be as popular? We'll never know for sure since the star opted to use his highly recognizable handle. However, it turns out that Bear isn't his real name despite the fact that it definitely suits him thanks to his nature-loving ways. Instead, Channel 24 notes that the star was born Edward Michael Grylls. While "he once said that Edward wasn't his real name too," according to Digital Spy, all sources point to that being his legal moniker which means that he was probably just being cheeky at the time.

But that surely leaves you wondering where the name Bear came from. Well, Digital Spy also reveals that the star's sister, Lara, "gave him the nickname Bear when he was a week old and it stuck." The outlet also suggested that Bear may have come from the fact that Teddy is a nickname for Edward, and that could lead to Teddy Bear, "which is slightly less macho than you would expect" but is oh-so adorable!