On "ALF", what was ALF's real name?

On ALF, ALF’s real name was Gordon Shumway.

He was an extraterrestrial from the planet Melmac who crash-landed in the Tanner family’s garage after his home world was destroyed. The name ALF is not his birth name; it is an acronym for “Alien Life Form,” the label humans use for him after he arrives on Earth.

The character was created by Paul Fusco and Tom Patchett for the NBC sitcom ALF, which premiered in 1986. Fusco performed and voiced the puppet character, while the story followed ALF’s attempts to hide from government authorities and adjust to life with Willie, Kate, Lynn and Brian Tanner.

The show’s comedy often came from Gordon’s alien perspective, especially his appetite for cats and his difficulty understanding ordinary American family life. Viewers sometimes confuse Gordon Shumway with the performer behind ALF, Paul Fusco, but they are different: Fusco was the creator and performer, while Gordon Shumway is the fictional Melmacian character. ALF’s name and backstory were also used in the animated spin-offs.