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If you’ve heard that Donkey Kong was originally supposed to be called Monkey Kong, the short answer is no. Nintendo’s own explanation says the name Donkey Kong was chosen on purpose, not changed from an official “Monkey Kong” title after the fact.
The confusion sticks around because the story sounds believable: a gorilla character, a famous movie-style “Kong” reference, and decades of fan retellings. But when you separate the documented history from the rumors, the real origin is a little different—and a lot less dramatic.
Here’s the clean version of what happened, why people keep repeating the Monkey Kong story, and what Nintendo has actually said about the name.
No—Donkey Kong was not supposed to be Monkey Kong, at least not according to Nintendo’s own explanation. In a Nintendo interview, Shigeru Miyamoto said the team wanted a name that suggested a silly gorilla, and “donkey” was chosen because it could imply stubbornness or stupidity in the way they were thinking about it at the time.
The important part is that this was a deliberate naming idea, not a documented “we meant Monkey Kong but it got changed later” situation.
Where the Monkey Kong rumor comes from
The Monkey Kong version usually shows up as fan folklore. People hear that Donkey Kong is a gorilla, assume “monkey” would have been the more obvious starting point, and then build a story around a mistranslation, a fax mistake, or a title change tied to legal trouble.
That kind of story spreads easily because it sounds neat and explainable. But in the sources Nintendo has publicly shared, the Monkey Kong name is not presented as the real original title.
What fans often remember is a mix of half-true details: there was pressure around the “Kong” part of the name, Nintendo was working in a very different era of game publishing, and the final title definitely changed from what some people expected. That is not the same thing as proving Monkey Kong was the official name first.
What Nintendo says actually happened
According to Nintendo’s own historical explanation, Miyamoto and his team were trying to find a name that fit the character’s personality. They wanted something that suggested a goofy or stubborn ape, not just a literal animal label.
He has explained that Nintendo of America initially pushed back because the English meaning of “donkey” did not communicate the same idea to them. In other words, the name made sense to the creators in one context, but it did not land the same way in English at first.
That detail matters. The name was not simply a random English word and it was not just a typo. It was a creative choice that happened to be awkward in translation and cultural context.
For a current official example of how Nintendo presents the character now, see its Donkey Kong amiibo page, which uses Donkey Kong as the settled character name.
Myth vs. fact
| Claim | What the available evidence supports |
|---|---|
| “Monkey Kong was the original name.” | No official Nintendo source in the material provided supports that as the original title. |
| “Donkey Kong came from a mistranslation or fax mistake.” | That is a common fan story, but it is not the documented Nintendo explanation. |
| “Donkey was chosen to give the name a stubborn or silly feel.” | Yes. That is the explanation Miyamoto gave in Nintendo’s interview. |
Why the name Donkey Kong stuck
Once a name gets attached to a character, it becomes part of the character’s identity. Donkey Kong quickly became more than a one-off arcade title, so the name stopped being a weird-sounding choice and started being the brand itself.
That is why later discussions about the name can be confusing. People often assume there must have been a cleaner “first draft” name behind it, but Nintendo’s own account points to Donkey Kong being the intended title from the beginning of that naming process.
There is also a good practical reason the rumor survives: “Monkey Kong” sounds like the sort of thing a fan would naturally guess, so it feels plausible even when it is not documented.
Was it a mistranslation?
Probably not, based on the official explanation available here. The better description is that the name was deliberate, but the intended meaning of “donkey” did not translate cleanly for Nintendo of America at first.
That is a subtle difference, but it changes the story a lot:
- Mistranslation story: someone meant Monkey Kong, and the title got mangled.
- Official Nintendo story: the team chose Donkey Kong on purpose, but the meaning was hard to convey in English.
If you are trying to separate fact from forum lore, that distinction is the key one.
Why people still call it Monkey Kong
The rumor hangs on because it is easy to remember and easy to repeat. It also gets mixed into conversations about early Nintendo history, legal disputes, and old arcade naming quirks.
Community discussions often repeat the same few explanations: a translation problem, a fax issue, or the idea that “donkey” was supposed to mean stubborn. Those comments are useful for showing what people believe, but they are not the same as Nintendo’s documented account.
So if you hear Monkey Kong in a retro gaming conversation, treat it as a piece of fan folklore rather than a confirmed early title.
Practical takeaway for retro fans
If you want the safest, most accurate way to say it, use this:
- Donkey Kong was the intended name in Nintendo’s account.
- “Monkey Kong” is a rumor, not the confirmed original title.
- The name was chosen to evoke a silly or stubborn ape.
- Nintendo of America initially did not like how that meaning worked in English.
That version matches the official explanation much better than the common internet retelling.
FAQ
Is Donkey Kong a monkey or a gorilla?
He is generally treated as a gorilla in Nintendo material and by most fans, even though people casually say monkey sometimes.
Did Nintendo ever officially call him Monkey Kong?
Not in the official sources provided here. Nintendo’s own explanation points to Donkey Kong as the intended name.
Why does “donkey” appear in the name if he is not a donkey?
Because the word was chosen for the feeling it gave the creators—something stubborn, silly, or hard-headed—not because the character was meant to be a donkey.
Was there really a legal issue with the name Kong?
There was long-running legal controversy around early Donkey Kong history, but that is separate from the specific claim that the character was originally called Monkey Kong. The available Nintendo explanation does not support Monkey Kong as the official earlier name.
So what is the most accurate answer in one sentence?
No, Donkey Kong was not supposedly Monkey Kong; Nintendo says Donkey Kong was the intended name, chosen to fit the character’s personality.
For more Nintendo history and classic game context, you can also explore other Nintendo FAQs on Retro Only.