Several of the Koopa Kids' names are parodies of various musical celebrities, most of whom were popular at the time of SMB3's production.

- Iggy Koopa is named after American rock singer Iggy Pop.
- Lemmy Koopa takes his name from Lemmy Kilmister, a British heavy metal artist best known from his work in the band Motörhead.
- Ludwig Von Koopa is named after 19th Century composer Ludwig van Beethoven, and shares his wild hairstyle.
- Morton Koopa Jr. is named after American pop and country singer Morton Downey Jr., now perhaps best known for his self-titled talk show. Morton Koopa Jr. also has a white face with a black star over his left eye, the trademark makeup of guitarist Paul Stanley from KISS.
- Roy Koopa is named after Roy Orbison, and both wear horn-rimmed sunglasses.
- Wendy O. Koopa is named after Wendy O. Williams, an American punk singer.

It's unclear who Larry Koopa is supposed to be based on, but he could be based on Larry Mullen Jr, the drummer for the band U2.