Meat Loaf fans are just learning where singer's stage name comes from

Despite having been a famous musician and actor for over 60 years, fans still have no idea where Meat Loaf first got his name from and what the meaning is behind it.

The American-born singer first released music with his band, Meat Loaf Soul, who had their first performance in California in 1968. At the same time, the singer also started his acting career, with the singer mainly starring in different musicals. Throughout his career, Meat Loaf released 12 studio albums, which included hit songs like 'I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)', 'Paradise by the Dashboard Light'.

After having sold sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time, the singer died at age 74 in January 2022. While no official cause of death was released, he was reportedly sick with COVID-19 earlier that same month.

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The performer, who was born Marvin Lee Aday and later known as Michael Lee Aday, was known by his singular stage name. But where did the name come from and what does it mean?

Taking to Reddit'sToday I Learned forum, one user was eager to reveal the supposed origin of the singer's name.

"TIL according to the singer Meat Loaf (born Marvin Lee Aday), when he was born his father thought looked like 'nine-and-a-half pounds of ground chuck' and nicknamed him 'Meat'," the post said. "Years later, when he was a heavyset teenage football player, the players and coaches expanded the name to 'Meat Loaf'."

Over the years, Meat Loaf offered various explanations for his moniker and even told The Guardian in 2003 that "names and ages piss me off. So I just continually lie."

Despite the ever-changing origin story of his name, Meat Loaf appears to have begun using the nickname years before his music and acting career began.

Meat Loaf claimed he got the first half of his name from his father shortly after he was born. The musician said on Oprah Winfrey's in 2016 that he was "born bright red," explaining that his father told the hospital to put a "Meat" tag in front of his crib because he "looked like nine-and-a-half pounds of ground chuck" as a newborn.

Meat Loaf told Winfrey he received the "Loaf" half of his nickname in eighth grade, when he "stepped on a coach's foot and he screamed, 'Get off my foot, you hunk of meatloaf!' "

However, the singer offered a different version of the story to PEOPLE decades earlier in 1978. He said at the time that his name was inspired by his size while growing up in Dallas. The rocker said he couldn't remember ever weighing less than 185 pounds.

He also spun another tale about his name's origins, according to The New York Times, which reports that the artist also claimed an incident with a Volkswagen was responsible for his nickname.

"Meat Loaf … told numerous stories about how he got his stage name, including one about a high school stunt in which he let a Volkswagen run over his head," the Times reports. "Afterward, a child shouted, 'You're as dumb as a hunk of meat loaf.'"