Homer 's middle initial `` J , '' which was discovered to stand for `` Jay '' , was a `` tribute '' to Bullwinkle J. Moose from Rocky and Bullwinkle , a show Matt Groening loved as a child . Homer 's middle initial `` J '' , which stands for `` Jay '' , is a `` tribute '' to animated characters such as Bullwinkle J. Moose and Rocket J. Squirrel from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show who got their middle initial from Jay Ward .