The traditional Thai middle name in Tiger Woods’s full name is Tont.
Tiger Woods was born Eldrick Tont Woods on December 30, 1975, in Cypress, California. “Tont” is a traditional Thai name associated with his mother, Kultida Woods, who was born in Thailand and has Thai, Chinese, and Dutch ancestry. His public nickname, Tiger, is not part of the middle name; it honors his father’s South Vietnamese friend, Colonel Vuong Dang Phong, who was also known as Tiger.
His first name, Eldrick, was chosen by his mother because it begins with E, for Earl, and ends with K, for Kultida. The name “Tiger” eventually became so dominant that many people overlook his legal first and middle names.
Another common mix-up is treating Tiger as his given name. Officially, his full name is Eldrick Tont Woods, while Tiger is the nickname under which he became one of golf’s most recognizable figures. The Thai connection therefore belongs specifically to Tont, not to Tiger.