But first they needed a good stage name. In memory of the Frenchman, Ehrich decided to call himself Houdini. The extra letter at the end made it sound better in English. For a first name, he took the nickname his friends used for him - Ehirch - and changed it to Harry. From then on, he was Harry Houdini. He and Jacob Hyman became the Brothers Houdini. He also copied Robert-Houdin's costume - a formal jacket and white shirt - not the long magician's robe that had been popular before.