The term JEEP
 

One account of the origin of the term "jeep" begins when the prototypes were being proven at military bases. The term "jeep" was used by soldiers for any untried or untested piece of personnel or equipment.

Another likely factor in the popularization of the jeep name came from the fact that the vehicle made quite an impression on soldiers at the time, so much so that they informally named it after Eugene the Jeep, a character in the Popeye cartoons created by E. C. Segar. Eugene the Jeep was Popeye's "jungle pet" and was "small, able to move between dimensions and could solve seemingly impossible problems."

In early 1941, Willys-Overland staged a press event in Washington, D.C., having the car demonstrate its prowess by driving up the Capitol steps. Irving "Red" Hausmann, a test driver on the Willys development team who had accompanied the car for its testing at Camp Holabird, had heard soldiers there referring to it as a jeep. He was enlisted to go to the event and give a demonstration ride to a group of dignitaries, including Katherine Hillyer, a reporter for the Washington Daily News. When asked by the reporter, Hausmann too called it a Jeep. Hillyer's article appeared in the newspaper on February 20, 1941, with a photo showing a jeep going up the Capitol steps and a caption including the term 'jeep'. This is believed to be the most likely cause of the term being fixed in public awareness. Even though Hausmann did not create or invent the word Jeep, he very well could be the one most responsible for its first news media usage.

The name Jeep has also been thought to come from Fords version called the GP, therefore Gee P,which is possibly why there were legal matters with the name.

I always thought it came from the term "General Purpose" which was shortened to GP and over time developed into Jeep.

Yeah, thats what I always thought too!

Hey Jimmy, i'm lovin these little history lessons. Keep em up.:-).
Cheers

Nope. GP never meant General Purpose.
G = Government Issue
P = designation for 80inch wheelbase.

The word "Jeep" was used on a small tractor, manufactured by Moline in early 1930's. Was also used on a few planes in a similar vinatge.

I was told once that the name Jeep came from the fact that the original army Jeeps were very basic unrefined vehicles, hence the name stood for

"Just Enough Essential Parts".

JB

I always thought JEEP stood for '' Just Empty Every Pocket '' lol ;)