Leela's name

[on:]

Does anyone know where the name Leela comes from? I mean, you know, because it's so... odd and all.
*cough*
Alright, I'll admit it. I'm fishing. I think I know where it's from, but I want to hear it from a reputable source. I'd say what, I don't want to sway your opinion by telling you my suspicion just yet.
Any thoughts?

[Reply #1 on:]

Wikipedia:
 

Leela's name is a pun on Olivier Messiaen's most famous orchestral work, the Turangalîla Symphony. Messiaen stated that the title of the piece derived from two Sanskrit words, turanga and lîla, together meaning something like "love song and hymn of joy, time, movement, rhythm, life, and death." "Lila" also means purple in Spanish, Swedish, some Slavic languages, Hungarian and German, which may mean that her name is inspired by her hair color. As he is a fan of Doctor Who, it is also likely that Matt Groening named Leela after the Fourth Doctor's companion Leela, with whom she shares many qualities.

Sorry to burst your bubble, Kiffan.
Anyway, I'm still interested in what your theory was. Go ahead and say it. 

[Reply #2 on:]

I liked the quote I found on TWoP about it a while back:
 

Leela's name is a pretty honkin' obscure in-joke: Leela is her last name, and her first name (only mentioned a few times on the show) is Turanga.

Matt Groening is a fan of 'difficult' music, including a great deal of modern classical.

The connection may escape you at first, until I mention Olivier Messaien's 1948 Masterpiece, the Turangalîla Symphonie.

The meaning of Turangalîla is best explained by the composer himself:

"pronounced “tour-ahn-gu-LEE-LAH,” with the last two syllables accented and lengthened – is a word in Sanskrit. As with all words from ancient oriental languages, its meaning is very rich. “Lîla” literally means play – but play in the sense of the divine action upon the cosmos, the play of creation, of destruction, of reconstruction, the play of life and death. “Turanga”: this is time that runs, like a galloping horse; this is time that flows, like sand in an hourglass. “Turanga” is movement and rhythm. “Turangalîla” therefore means all at once love song, hymn to joy, time, movement, rhythm, life and death."

What this has to do, precisely, with a one-eyed purple haired martial artist mutant from the future is as yet undetermined.

I did some digging and apparently that quote from Messaien is in the booklet.

I really want to hear this.  It's got my interest now. :\

[Reply #3 on:]

 

Leela is her last name, and her first name (only mentioned a few times on the show) is Turanga.

Well, Turanga is her surname. Technically it's still her "first" name, since the family name comes before the given name, but that wording is confusing.

[Reply #4 on:]

I always thought that "Leela" came from the German (nd i think spanish) for purple - Lila (pronounced Leela)

[Reply #5 on:]

Ok then, once we figure this out, the next question can be "Where does Philip J. Fry's name come from?". lol that name was probably fished out of a hat full of random names

[Reply #6 on:]

I have no idea about 'Fry', but the Phillip came as a tribute to Phil Hartman, who was the original voice of Zapp.  When Hartman was murdered, Groening and company changed Fry's first name from Curtis to Phillip.  I don't think there has ever been any explanation for the 'J' initial.

[Reply #7 on:]

Maybe Groening just likes the ring of a J middle initial?

[Reply #8 on:]

I thought Leela was that famous sci-fi female character? sorry I can't remember.

[Reply #9 on:]

 

Originally posted by Ralph Snart:
... I don't think there has ever been any explanation for the 'J' initial...

I no longer remember from where, but I'm told the "J" harkens back to "Bullwinkle J. Moose," and "Jay Ward."

Originally posted by frowntown:
I thought Leela was that famous sci-fi female character? sorry I can't remember.

One of Doctor Who's companions was named Leela. She was a warrior of the Sevatim (or something like that) and travelled with Tom Baker's version of the good Doctor.

Note to self: Read all the &^%$#@! posts before replying...

[Reply #10 on:]

For the record, my theory was the Doctor Who one. I knew he was a fan and I couldn't see it as just a coincidence. Don't worry about "bursting my bubble". It's good to know the truth   
Edit: My turn to quote that online God Wikipedia now.
 

In a running joke tribute to Jay Ward, many of his cartoon characters had the middle initial "J.", presumably standing for "Jay" (although this was never stated explicitly). The creator of The Simpsons, Matt Groening, gave the three male members of the Simpson Family (Homer, Bart, and Grandpa) the middle initial "J." as a tribute to Jay Ward cartoons (Homer Jay, Bart Jo-Jo, and Abraham Jasper (Grandpa) Simpson). When Homer's mother Mona, absent for most of the long-running series, was introduced, she also had the middle initial J., though what it stands for is unrevealed.
Matt Groening would repeat this homage with his second series, Futurama, where the main character's name is Phillip J. Fry.

[Reply #11 on:]

i think 'J' is very popular with matt groening:

homer j. simpson, bartholomew j. simpson, abraham j. simpson, mona j. simpson, hubert j. farnsworth, etc.