<p>C.J. Stroud emerged as one of the best rookie quarterbacks in NFL history during the 2023 season. The No. 2 overall pick from the 2023 NFL Draft enjoyed a terrific season, putting the Texans ahead of schedule in their rebuild and <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/cj-stroud-stats-today-texans-b…; target="_blank">setting numerous rookie records</a> while doing so.</p>
<p>Indeed, it looks like Stroud is going to be a great NFL quarterback for a long time. If he can continue to develop, his name will go down in the annals of NFL history as one of the best — and perhaps the best from his draft class.</p>
<p>But not many know Stroud's full name. He is known as "C.J." to most, but his full name is unique and has a nice ring to it.</p>
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<p>So, what is C.J. Stroud's full name? Here's what to know about it and how long the name has been in his family.</p>
<h2>What is C.J. Stroud's full name?</h2>
<p>Stroud's full name is Coleridge Bernard Stroud IV. He goes by C.J. Stroud and only wears "Stroud" on the back of his jersey — not "Stroud IV."</p>
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<h2>How did C.J. Stroud get his name?</h2>
<p>The original "Coleridge Bernard Stroud" was C.J.'s great-grandfather. <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/buckeye-talk-podcast/2022/04/cj-stroud-spent-…; target="_blank">Cleveland.com's Stephen Means</a> reported that he was named after a Greek philosopher from the 1800s, but it appears that he could have been named after English poet and philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge.</p>
<p>Either way, the Strouds explained that since then, the "Coleridge Bernard" name had been passed down through generations of their family.</p>
<p>That said, Kim Stroud told Cleveland.com that nobody calls her son C.J. by his full name. What do they call him?</p>
<p>"Cool Breeze," his mother Kim said of one of Stroud's nicknames. "He’s a calm, cool breeze because you can never tell an emotion on him. Sometimes he’ll make little gestures or whatever, but he’s real cool-headed.”</p>
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<h2>What is the "J" for in C.J. Stroud's name?</h2>
<p>There hasn't yet been an explanation for where Stroud gets the "J" in his "C.J." name, as his initials would be "C.B."</p>
<p>That said, this could be a situation similar to that of Chauncey Gardner-Johnson Jr.; The Eagles defensive back goes by CJ Gardner-Johnson because he is "Chauncey Junior."</p>
<p>That said, there isn't any evidence that Stroud went by "Coleridge Junior," though he was called "Little Man" by his youth football coach Willie Munford, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/11/25/cj-stroud-ohio-state-m…; target="_blank">per the Washington Post</a>.</p>
<p>Perhaps we'll get an answer to this mystery at some point during Stroud's career.</p>