What is the name of Gatsby's father?

What is the name of Gatsby’s father? Gatsby’s father is named Henry C. Gatz.

Henry C. Gatz appears near the end of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, after Gatsby is killed. He arrives at the mansion grieving and struggling to understand the scale of his son’s life. Unlike the wealthy guests who enjoyed Gatsby’s parties, Henry is one of the few people who shows genuine loyalty after Gatsby’s death.

The character’s full name also helps confirm Gatsby’s original identity. Gatsby was born James Gatz, the son of Henry C. Gatz and a poor farming family in North Dakota. He later transforms himself into Jay Gatsby, rejecting his humble background and creating an identity built around wealth, status, romance, and self-invention.

A common mistake is to answer James Gatz, but that is Gatsby’s birth name, not his father’s. Another mix-up comes from assuming that “Gatz” is Gatsby’s surname only after his transformation; in fact, both father and son share the family name. Henry’s brief appearance makes the contrast between Gatsby’s origins and his grand public image especially clear.