Johnny Yuma's name
Not something you'd notice as a kid, but Yuma only occurs as a variant of Yuum, a Cocopah Native American word. So Yuma wasn't and isn't a surname. So Johnny must have changed his name or the writers didn't have a clue.
shareGuess the folks in Yuma, Arizona need to be told they're spelling it wrong.
shareHey Grumpyoldguy,
The city and county of Yuma, Arizona most likely took its name from the pronunciation of the Yuman people who occupied the areas along the Colorado River in the area we now call Yuma. The Cocopah people are reportedly descended from the broader Yuman people who had no written language as did most Native American tribes.
As a result of not having a written language, the Yuman name as we see it written in modern English is simply a matter of European folks writing in English what they heard when it was spoken. The use of Yuma as a location name certainly began long before the 19th century establishment of Fort Yuma.
In the first episode of the series, Johnny Yuma returns to his home town where his father was once the sheriff, and it is clearly noted that "Yuma" is his family's name. How would his family become "Yumas?" Like many folks of that day, someone may have been an outlaw a few generations earlier, moved to the Yuma area and decided to use "Yuma" as a new last name.
The writers did not make a mistake using the name "Yuma." It sounds good for the Rebel character, and it certainly is plausible.
Best wishes,
Dave Wile
Hey David,
I have seen the pilot episode also, but if Johnny Yuma is from a Western town, how did he end up fighting for the Confederacy? Yuma is not in Texas. Was it his personal beliefs? It interesting how almost sixty years ago when this series premiered, it was okay for Johnny to be a Confederate. Many of the drovers on "Rawhide" and members on "Wagon Train" were supposed to be Confederates also. Simply soldiers fighting on opposite sides of a squabble between the states. This would be totally unacceptable in today's social and political climate. In photos I have seen on the internet of General Lee from the "Dukes of Hazard", they have even blocked out the Confederate bars and stars on the top of the orange Charger. Times change, fads become popular, and social norms progress or regress depending on your viewpoint.
Interesting.
Best Wishes,
Clintessence