What was the middle name decided for Richie Petrie on the 1961 Dick Van Dyke show? Please explain how it came to be.

His middle name was Rosebud and it was a compilation of various family names, meant to appease everyone:

"R" for Robert (his Dad),

"O" for Oscar suggested by Laura's mother),

"S" for Sam (Rob's Dad's name),

"E" for Edward (for Laura's Father's brother),

"B" for Benjamin (Suggested by Rob's mother),

"U" for Ulysses (suggested by Rob's grandfather) and

"D" for David (suggested by Rob's grandfather).

Well, THAT didn't take long. Back to research. Good answer, Cyndi !