Winnie-the-Pooh’s original name in Christopher Robin’s toy collection was Edward Bear.
Christopher Robin Milne initially called his teddy bear Edward. The name reflected the traditional children’s expression “teddy bear,” and the toy appeared as Edward Bear in A. A. Milne’s poem “Teddy Bear.”
The name changed after Christopher Robin visited Winnipeg, a female American black bear at London Zoo. He renamed his toy Winnie after the zoo bear, while “Pooh” came from the name of a swan associated with Milne’s poetry.
In the 1926 story collection, Edward Bear is explained as the same toy who has become Winnie-the-Pooh. The change therefore belongs to the character’s fictional backstory rather than representing a different bear.