John Dory

[Smiffy]

Was there a real John Dory after whom the fish was named?

[Quizmonster]

A song was created in the early 17th century all about a supposed French pirate called John Dory. That somehow got attached to the name of the fish which was already called a 'dor�e', French for 'golden'. It's a sort of joke, in other words, rather than a reference to a real person.