<P> Bert and Ernie are two Muppets who appear together in numerous skits on the popular U.S. children's television show Sesame Street . Originated by Frank Oz and Jim Henson, the characters are currently performed by puppeteers Eric Jacobson and Peter Linz; Oz occasionally performed Bert between 2000 and 2006 . </P> <P> Bert and Ernie were built by Don Sahlin from a simple design scribbled by Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets . Initially, Henson performed Bert and Oz performed Ernie, but after just one day of rehearsal, they switched characters . The original idea was to show that even though two people can have totally different characteristics, they can still be good friends . According to writer Jon Stone, the relationship between Bert and Ernie reflected the real - life friendship between Henson and Oz . </P>

Where did bert and ernie get their names
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