People are only just realising the real reason behind Wetherspoons’ name… and it’s nothing to do with the UK

PEOPLE are only just realising the real reason behind the Wetherspoons' name - and it has nothing to do with the UK.

JD Wetherspoon is a household name for Brits, but many have no idea that the chain's title comes from two different countries.

And JD is also not a person - it's a combination of names pulled together by founder Tim Martin.

The two initials chosen by Tim are a tribute to The Dukes Of Hazzard's JD Hogg.

Jefferson Davis Hogg – played by actor Sorrell Booke – was the greedy, corrupt county commissioner in the US TV series, which ran for six years from 1979.

Tim was a fan and when he was looking to open his first pub in North London in 1979 he chose the character's initials to kick off the name.

But it's the iconic title Wetherspoons that is shocking punters.

The British businessman dreamed it up after spending part of his childhood in New Zealand, as his dad was working there.

Tim explained that one of his favourite teachers was called Mr Wetherspoon.

According to the 68-year-old: “I decided to call it Wetherspoon's after a former teacher, not because the teacher in question had said I would never make it, as some people think, but because he was too nice a fellow to be running our particular class and he couldn't control it.

“So I thought, 'I can't control the pub, he couldn't control the class, so I'll name it after him'."

'Spoons fans took to Twitter to share their shock.

One, who dubbed the call "brilliant" wrote: "Can’t believe I’ve just found out Tim Martin named Wetherspoons the chain of pubs after a teacher."

Another shared their surprise that the businessman "named his empire" after the teacher, while another dubbed it an "interesting fact".

Meanwhile, the top 20 Wetherspoons pubs in the country have been revealed.

And a group of Brits recently visited one of the best - but said it was missing a key feature.

They visited The Goodman's Field in East London which was recently rated in the top 10 Wetherspoons in England.