Tiger Woods Tiger's Real Name: Eldrick Woods. The nick-name "Tiger" was given to him by his father. It's the same nick-name of a South Vietnamese combat buddy, Nguyen Phong, who saved Tiger's father's life a few times in the Vietnam War. Rumor had it that Tiger was planning to official change his name to Tiger Woods when he turned 21 this past December but sources say he didn't do it for some reason. Tiger's Dad: Green Beret Lieutenant Colonel Earl Woods served 2 Tours of Duty in the Vietnam War. Tiger's Mother: Kultida (Tida) Woods. Her maiden name is Kultida Punsawad. Tiger's parents met in Bangkok, Thailand. They got married in 1969. Tiger Born: December 30, 1975 Long Beach, California.