Myth: Billy the Kid’s real name was William H. Bonney William H. Bonny is actually another alias of Billy the Kid, used during the height of his notoriety, but it is not generally considered his real name. Throughout his life, several different names were associated with this 19th century outlaw and gunman, including: William Henry McCarty, Jr. – Billy the Kid’s official birth name. Henry Antrim – In 1873, Henry’s mother married a man named William Antrim. To avoid confusion with two Williams in the family, Billy the Kid’s mother started calling him by his middle name, Henry, and the boy took on his stepfather’s last name. William H. Bonney – In 1877, Henry Antrim started using William H. Bonney as an alias after he murdered Frank “Windy” Cahill, and escaped to New Mexico to avoid a death sentence. Although the reason for the name “Bonney” is unknown, some speculate that this was his biological father’s name before his mother married a man named McCarty, who may or may not have been his biological father (not much is known of his biological father). McCarty may also have been his mother’s maiden name. The Kid – Many of his associates nicknamed him “The Kid” because of his youthfulness and slender build. Billy the Kid – In 1880, during the final year of his life, newspaper reporters and dime novelists, who often embellished stories about the young outlaw, started referring to him as Billy the Kid. Billy, of course, was used as a nickname for William. As the legend of “The Kid” circulated, so did the nickname that most people know him as today: Billy the Kid. Thus, William H. McCarty, Jr. is considered Billy the Kid’s real name, not William H. Bonney. youtu.be/S8zUw-rDTvc
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 04:09:03 +0000
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