The title for Fuller House, the spin-off sequel to the 80s/90s sitcom Full House, is not just a simple derivative of its parent series’ name. Instead of simply adding a tag to differentiate the offshoot from the original show without losing its branding, Netflix opted for a more creative way to name its Full House follow-up project. Debuting in 2016, the series focuses on DJ (Candace Cameron-Bure), who like her father, finds herself having to raise three kids after the death of her partner.
There are a couple of reasons behind the name Fuller House. First, there’s the reference to Full House’s name, which also doubles as a description of the characters’ living arrangements. The iconic San Francisco home becomes the dwelling of an extended family, and the house is “fuller” in the spin-off because there are simply more people living in it in Fuller House. Aside from Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) moving in with DJ and her three sons, Kimmy (Andrea Barber) also joins the Tanners with her daughter Ramona (Soni Nicole Bringas).
Aside from the obvious implications of Fuller House’s title, there’s another reason behind the name. It’s also a reference to DJ essentially being the head of the extended household. After DJ married her first husband named Tommy Sr. who died on the line of duty as a firefighter, she adopted his last name making her Donna Jo Tanner-Fuller. This is also the reason why the veterinary clinic she shares with her ex-boyfriend Matt (John Brotherton) is called Harmon-Fuller Pet Care.
Fuller House never really shone a light on DJ’s relationship with her first husband, and she’s barely called her full name in the show. This is the reason why this specific detail isn’t as widely-known as it should be considering that it’s the inspiration for the show’s title. Properly explaining how DJ’s name is linked to the spin-off’s title would’ve also better explained why DJ is the head of the household despite a few families living in it. By doing this, it would’ve somehow answered questions about why she seems to have dibs on their family home despite the fact that Danny (Bob Saget) has yet to officially pass it on to his kids.While Fuller House’s title is still appropriate after the series finale considering that Stephanie, Kimmy, and their respective families decide to stay and still live under one roof, DJ’s imminent name-change means that the spin-off’s title will no longer be referencing her. After her marriage to Steve, chances are that she would want to use his last name, Hale. Simply adding it to her already long-name doesn’t seem practical, and she might not want to drop her maiden name either. That would force her to stop using Fuller altogether.
