What's in a Name?

Author William Sydney Porter chose a distinctive but simple pen name: O. Henry. But when did he choose it? And why? Scholars and researchers can't agree on the facts.

The most popular explanation is that Porter selected his pen name after he moved into the Harrell family home in Austin (Texas) where he called "Oh Henry!" while searching for the family cat. William Sydney Porter lived in Austin between 1884 and 1887, a decade before his penitentiary term in Ohio.