Have You Been Saying This LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE Character Name Wrong?

Published: September 12, 2025

Melissa Gilbert And Dean Butler — American actress Melissa Gilbert as Laura Ingalls and Canadian actor Dean Butler as Ingalls’ fiance, Almanzo James Wilder, in an episode from the 1980 – 1981 season of the television series ‘Little House on the Prairie,’ 1980. The series was based on the ‘Little House’ book series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. (Photo by NBC Television/Courtesy of Getty Images)

By Gavin Boyle

Actress Lucy Lee Flippin, who played Eliza Jane Wilder on LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, recalled how a mispronunciation of one of the character’s names ended up in the final cut of the show.

“On the first day Dean [Butler] and I were both a little nervous. We were in the buckboard, and Dean had to handle the horses, which I don’t think he was used to doing. I mean we were sort of like two brand new puppies, you know, very wide-eyed!” Flippin explained. “I remember we were in the town square, and the first scene we shot was when I introduced Almanzo to Laura. I introduced him Almonzo, but apparently it was supposed to be Almanzo.”

“No one corrected me – the script supervisor didn’t, Michael Landond didn’t, and Dean Butler never said a word!” she continued. “So I feel unfairly blamed for that. I thought my way sounded nicer.”

By the time production was tipped off from dozens of letters from fans, multiple more episodes had already been shot where Flippin had continued with her improper pronunciation, cementing the tweak in the name.

Over 40 years later, this little mistake is still remembered because of the legacy the show has left. In March of 2024, the show celebrated its 50 year anniversary, and the cast who showed up to the event were blown away by how much support they received.

“When we did the show, we went, ‘Yeah, this is a really good show, Oh, it seems to be a hit, that’s nice.’ But the idea that 50 years later, people would still be excited about it, it’s absolutely mind-blowing,” Alison Arngrim, who played Nellie Oleson, told GOOD MORNING AMERICA.

“There is only one place and one time that this historic event can take place,” said Kathi Van Etten, the president and CEO of the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce, where the festival occurred. “We wanted to do this for the fans, the cast members and for Simi Valley. This festival is not just a celebration of a television show, it’s a tribute to a legacy that has touched hearts for half a century.”

While the show remains extremely popular in its own right, it has also gone on to inspire many shows which take place on the frontier. The most recognizable may be WHEN CALLS THE HEART, which had a very fun moment last season when LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE’s Melissa Gilbert was part of a two-episode arc on the show.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DNQndQMRUeV/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=f6f403ec-7c10-46e0-a110-a002556ff91b

Questions or comments? Please write to us here.