What does JJ stand for in Outer Banks? Fan theory suggests name was changed

Thanks to its adventurous and free-spirited nature, Outer Banks became a colossal hit when it arrived on Netflix in 2020 and its season 2 return this year has also been hugely well received.

The series follows a gang of rebellious teens known as the Pogues with the group being made up of the characters John B Routledge, Sarah Cameron, Kiara “Kie” Carrera, Pope Heyward and JJ Maybank.

However, ever since Outer Banks first arrived on Netflix, fans have been left wondering just what ‘JJ’ stands for in the young Maybank’s name.

READ MORE: The ending of Outer Banks season 2 explained [spoilers]

Meet JJ in Outer Banks

Played by Rudy Pankow, JJ Maybank was first introduced in episode 1 Outer Banks’ first season.

He is the best friend of John B’s and the two have been almost inseparable since they first met in the third grade. While they have not always seen eye-to-eye, the pair always have each other’s back.

JJ has not enjoyed a loving home life, however, as his father, Luke Maybank, struggles with drugs and alcohol and often abuses JJ both physically and verbally.

We have not met JJ’s mother in Outer Banks but Luke claims that it was JJ’s fault that she left.

When the Pogues first learned of the lost treasure in season 1, JJ did not hesitate to join the search and has been a key member of the group ever since.

As the series has progressed, JJ and Kiara have grown noticeably closer together and fans are no doubt hoping that romantic sparks might fly between the pair in season 3 if and when it arrives.

What does JJ stand for in Outer Banks?

JJ’s real name has never been officially revealed in the show but a fan theory suggests that it’s actually John J.

Since Outer Banks first arrived on Netflix, JJ’s full name has not been mentioned in the series itself.

However, comments from fans on Reddit claim that JJ’s name is actually John J but that it was changed to JJ in order to avoid confusion with John B and Big John.

The theory can be found on a Reddit thread looking for ‘wrong answers only’ to JJ’s real name but a response to one answer claims that they actually found the correct name.

Reddit user ts__idiot posted the comment: “John J, but they thought it’d be too confusing to call him that because of John B.”

While fellow fan osmany_martinez replied, saying: “Yeah but this is the right answer lol, and also Big John they didn’t want those three to get confused lol.”

Hopefully, we’ll actually get to hear JJ’s real name get mentioned in Outer Banks if and when the show returns for season 3, potentially if he ever has a reunion with his missing mother.