The gender of Winnie the Pooh has been a topic of confusion and debate. While the character is referred to as "he" in A.A. Milnes books and in the Disney cartoons, the real-life bear he is named after was actually a female black bear named Winnipeg. Christopher Robin, son of A.A. Milne and star of the books and cartoons, had called his teddy bear Winnie after seeing the actual bear a number of times in London Zoo. However, Milnes Pooh Bear character was a boy, as was Christopher Robins toy bear, so while the inspiration for Winnie the Poohs name may have come from a female bear, the fictional character that the world knows and loves is, indeed, a boy. Therefore, Winnie the Pooh is a male character.