After he had decided not to do his `` Life in Hell '' cartoon series , he quickly sketched out his version of a dysfunctional family and named the characters after members of his own family , with Homer being named after his father . When he realized that animating Life in Hell would require him to rescind publication rights , Groening decided to go in another direction , and hurriedly sketched out his version of a dysfunctional family , naming the characters after members of his own family . Homer was named after Groening 's father .