Audiences were shocked at the end of The Mandalorian season 3 when Grogu received a new name, and though there is still a lot of mystery shrouding this decision, there are ways that it can be understood in retrospect. Although he's now known as one of Star Wars' best characters, there was once a time when Grogu didn't even have a name. For the first year or so of his existence, Grogu was known simply as "The Child" or "The Asset." The name "Grogu" wasn't revealed until midway through The Mandalorian season 2, and most viewers weren't impressed with it.

That tradition has continued with The Mandalorian season 3. When Din Djarin officially adopts Grogu as his own in the season finale, the Armorer gives Grogu a new addition to his name, though it's not the one audiences were expecting. Grogu is deemed "Din Grogu," raising questions that still have yet to be completely answered today. Here's everything we know and understand about Grogu's new name, as well as what its true fate in Star Wars lore is looking to be.

Grogu's New Name Is Derived Directly From Din Djarin's

The Two May Not Share Blood, But They Do Share This

It's not hard to see where the main source of inspiration for Grogu's new name came from, given the fact that both Din Djarin and Grogu share the same first name now. Grogu borrowing from his adoptive father's name was never hard to predict, though most viewers - if not all - expected that Grogu would earn the name "Djarin," not "Din." Given how rare the use of Din Djarin's name is, with it only being spoken aloud six times total prior to season 3, there are even more questions raised about the true nature of Din Djarin's name in addition to Grogu's own.

Every Theory Behind Why Grogu Inherited Din's First Name, Not His Last

There Are A Few Possible Explanations

There are several theories behind why this decision was made, with the first pointing towards real life traditions. It's a common practice in eastern cultures for a first name to actually be a family name, which could certainly be the case for Din Djarin. As a Mandalorian foundling, Din wasn't born on Mandalore nor Concordia, the moon on which he was raised. This is something the Armorer would know, and if she's familiar with the culture of Din Djarin's homeworld, she may have chosen to adhere to that rather than common Mandalorian culture.

The only misstep in this theory is that characters such as Bo-Katan Kryze often refer to Din Djarin as "Din," as if it's his first name, and he never takes the opportunity to correct them. This has led to another theory that suggests the addition of Din's first name is simply a practice of adoption, and Grogu does still have the "Djarin" name. Mandalorian society makes use of clan names, and given that Din and Grogu have long since been a clan of two, it's very possible that Grogu's full name is actually Din Grogu of Clan Djarin.

The addition of Din's first name is simply a practice of adoption, and Grogu does still have the "Djarin" name.

Another very plausible theory is that the name "Din Grogu" is actually making use of the structure of the Mandalorians' language, Mando'a. Though mostly used in Star Wars Legends rather than canon, Mando'a's possessive phrases use the same structure as many real world languages, in that the person, place, or object that's in possession follows after the possessor. In this case, then, Din Grogu would quite literally mean "Din's Grogu," which is especially true after Din formally adopts the foundling as his own.

Grogu's New Name May Not Stand Amongst Backlash

The New Name Rarely Gets Any Use

No matter how much this name becomes justified over time, it's quite possible that "Din Grogu" will not stand in the long run. It's already being ignored by Star Wars in big ways, such as the The Mandalorian & Grogu movie title omitting the Mandalorian apprentice's name change. The Star Wars fandom itself also largely ignores this name change in a way it didn't even do when the name "Grogu" was revealed, with only the most dedicated of Grogu fans acknowledging the little one's new name.

Should The Mandalorian franchise eventually explain more about why this decision was made, then perhaps it could increase in popularity and meaning, but for now, it unfortunately stands as another example of some confusing decisions made in the TV show's latest installment. The backlash about it has been hard to ignore, and it's becoming quite clear that Star Wars has recognized it. Despite that, it currently still stands that Grogu's full name is now "Din Grogu" in The Mandalorian, even if it will only get rare use in the future.