What is Pelé's full birth name?

Pelé’s full birth name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento. He was born on October 23, 1940, in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil, and became internationally known by the shorter name Pelé.

His first given name, Edson, honored the American inventor Thomas Edison, although Pelé later said the spelling on his birth certificate omitted the “i” from Edison. His father, João Ramos do Nascimento, was a professional footballer known as Dondinho, while his mother was Celeste Arantes.

Pelé began playing professionally for Santos as a teenager and soon became one of Brazil’s defining cultural figures. The name “Pelé” was a childhood nickname, not his legal surname or a shortened form of Arantes do Nascimento. He represented Brazil in four World Cups, won three of them, and became widely known as “O Rei,” or “The King.”