The name Fred was chosen for the character of Mr. Mertz because that was the name of Lucille Ball's brother. Who was Ethel named for?

Lucille Ball and Ethel Merman were friends, so that's how she chose the name for the character of the matriarchal Mertz. In an ironic twist, Vivian Vance had been an understudy for Ethel Merman on Broadway.

Asked by Tom Cohen · Last updated 5 years ago · 18.3K views