What was Buzz Aldrin's first name at birth?

Buzz Aldrin’s first name at birth was Edwin. He was born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. on January 20, 1930, in Glen Ridge, New Jersey.

The astronaut became universally known as “Buzz,” a nickname that began in childhood. His older sister reportedly mispronounced “brother” as “buzzer,” which was shortened to “Buzz.” In 1988, Aldrin legally changed his first name from Edwin to Buzz, but Edwin remains his birth name and appears in historical records from before that change.

Aldrin’s middle name was Eugene, and his father was also named Edwin Eugene Aldrin Sr. This sometimes creates confusion in questions asking for his “first name,” because his complete birth name contains both Edwin and Eugene. The canonical first name is Edwin, while Eugene is his middle name.

Aldrin later earned a doctorate in astronautics from MIT and became known as “Dr. Rendezvous.” He served as Apollo 11’s lunar module pilot, walking on the Moon shortly after Neil Armstrong in 1969.