Few true crime cases from the 20th century have left as lasting a mark on popular culture as Ed Gein’s. His crimes, uncovered in rural Wisconsin in 1957, shocked the country and went on to directly inspire some of horror’s most iconic fictional killers. Along with that infamy came a handful of nicknames that have followed his name in news coverage, books, and documentaries ever since. Here’s where they actually came from.
Who Was Ed Gein
Edward Theodore Gein was born on August 27, 1906, in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, and spent most of his life on a secluded farm near the small town of Plainfield. In November 1957, a local investigation into the disappearance of a hardware store owner named Bernice Worden led police to Gein’s property, where they discovered a series of disturbing findings tied to grave robbing and murder. He was convicted of first degree murder in 1968, but the court found him legally insane and committed him to a state mental hospital. He spent the rest of his life in psychiatric institutions and died at the Mendota Mental Health Institute in 1984.
The Butcher Of Plainfield
The Butcher Of Plainfield is the nickname most closely associated with Gein, and it comes directly from the name of his hometown combined with a description of the disturbing details uncovered on his property. The nickname was so widely used that it later became the subtitle of a direct-to-video film released in 2007, Ed Gein: The Butcher Of Plainfield, further cementing it as the label most people associate with the case.
The Plainfield Ghoul
The Plainfield Ghoul emerged around the same time as the Butcher Of Plainfield nickname, spreading through newspaper coverage immediately following his November 1957 arrest. The word ghoul, traditionally referring to a grave robbing creature in folklore, fit the specific nature of Gein’s crimes especially well, since his case involved the desecration of graves as much as it did the murders he was convicted of. Journalists covering the case at the time leaned heavily into this kind of folklore inspired language, which helped the nickname spread quickly across national news coverage.
The Mad Butcher Of Plainfield
The Mad Butcher Of Plainfield is a more dramatic variation of his most common nickname, also tracing back to newspaper headlines written in the immediate aftermath of his 1957 arrest. Journalists and historians studying the case’s media coverage have highlighted this period as an early example of a true crime case quickly influencing popular entertainment. Ed Gein’s 1957 arrest came just two years before Robert Bloch published Psycho in 1959. Although Bloch said he drew on the situation surrounding the case rather than directly basing Norman Bates on Gein, the novel shared several broad themes with the real case.
The Grandfather Of Gore
The Grandfather Of Gore is a more modern nickname, used less by contemporary news coverage in 1957 and more by later true crime writers and documentarians reflecting on Gein’s lasting cultural influence. The nickname reflects how directly his case shaped the horror genre going forward, inspiring fictional characters including Norman Bates in Psycho, Leatherface in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Buffalo Bill in The Silence Of The Lambs.
Complete List Of Ed Gein Nicknames
Here’s a quick reference covering his most documented nicknames and what each one refers to.
| No. | Nickname | What It Refers To |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Butcher Of Plainfield | His hometown combined with the nature of the crimes discovered on his property |
| 2 | The Plainfield Ghoul | His hometown combined with the grave robbing aspect of his crimes |
| 3 | The Mad Butcher Of Plainfield | A more dramatic newspaper headline variation from 1957 |
| 4 | The Grandfather Of Gore | A later nickname reflecting his lasting influence on horror fiction |
Why These Nicknames Still Matter
Gein’s nicknames show how quickly a real and disturbing criminal case can become part of popular culture and mythology. Within just a few years of his 1957 arrest, his story had inspired Robert Bloch’s influential 1959 novel Psycho, which Alfred Hitchcock adapted into the iconic 1960 film. Decades later, documentaries, dramatized series, and true crime retrospectives continue to revisit his crimes, keeping names like the Butcher of Plainfield in circulation more than six decades after they first appeared in newspapers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ed Gein’s most well known nickname?
The Butcher of Plainfield is generally considered Ed Gein’s most well known nickname. Newspapers used the name after police uncovered the disturbing details of his crimes at his Plainfield Wisconsin farmhouse in 1957.
Why is Ed Gein called the Plainfield Ghoul?
Ed Gein earned the nickname the Plainfield Ghoul because of the disturbing discoveries investigators made at his farmhouse in Plainfield Wisconsin. Newspapers and other media used the term to describe the shocking nature of his crimes and the macabre items police found at the property.
The nickname combines his hometown of Plainfield, Wisconsin, with the term ghoul, referencing the grave robbing aspect of his crimes.
When did Ed Gein’s nicknames first appear?
Most of his major nicknames, including the Butcher Of Plainfield and the Plainfield Ghoul, appeared in newspaper coverage immediately following his arrest in November 1957.
What does the Grandfather Of Gore refer to?
It’s a later nickname reflecting Ed Gein’s lasting influence on horror fiction, since his case directly inspired characters like Norman Bates, Leatherface, and Buffalo Bill.
Did Ed Gein’s case inspire any famous movies?
Yes. His case loosely inspired Robert Bloch’s 1959 novel Psycho, later adapted into Alfred Hitchcock’s film, along with influencing The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Silence Of The Lambs.
What happened to Ed Gein after his arrest?
He was found guilty of first degree murder, but the court ruled that he was legally insane and committed him to a state mental hospital. He later moved to Mendota Mental Health Institute, where he remained until his death in 1984.
Final Thoughts
Ed Gein’s nicknames reflect how a single, deeply disturbing case from a small Wisconsin town became one of the most culturally influential true crime stories in American history. The Butcher Of Plainfield and the Plainfield Ghoul both trace directly back to 1957 newspaper coverage, while the Grandfather Of Gore reflects just how far his case’s influence stretched into the decades of horror fiction that followed.
