# Well-known characters without actual names **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 24, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286 "2008-11-24T18:02:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/41 "2008-11-24T19:38:57Z")
How about Charlie Brown’s crush on “the little red haired girl”? ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/42 "2008-11-24T19:39:20Z")
The “Man With No Neck”, in _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_. The credits simply list him as “A Narrator”. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/43 "2008-11-24T19:41:01Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > The Man With No Name His name was Joe. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/44 "2008-11-24T19:41:21Z")
“John Doe” from _Se7en_. Two mentions of Cancer Man from _The X-Files_ but none for X and Deep Throat? For shame. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/45 "2008-11-24T19:47:30Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > The narrator of Ralph Ellison’s _The Invisible Man_ never reveals his name. Nitpick: the title of Ralph Ellison’s novel is simply _Invisible Man_. _The Invisible Man_ is by H. G. Wells. ---
**Author:** ![Erasmus\_Darwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@Erasmus\_Darwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erasmus_Darwin)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/46 "2008-11-24T19:54:24Z")
> [@Hi\_Neighbor](#): > > _Reservoir Dogs_ - Mr. Blonde, Mr. Blue, Mr. Brown, Mr. Orange, etc. Blonde, Orange, and White all had names. Blue, Brown, and Pink were nameless. Blonde’s name (Vic Vega) is of particular note as it has the same surname as Travolta’s character in Pulp Fiction (Vincent Vega). Tarantino has said that the two characters are brothers. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/47 "2008-11-24T19:58:17Z")
I’m gonna delve into the world of video games: **Master Chief** ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/48 "2008-11-24T19:58:19Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Nitpick: the title of Ralph Ellison’s novel is simply _Invisible Man_. _The Invisible Man_ is by H. G. Wells. Aaand … that’s another one that I knew but boobed up in my post anyway. Perhaps I’ll just lurk in this thread from here on out lest I embarass myself further. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/49 "2008-11-24T20:05:45Z")
Paul McGann’s character in \*Withnail And I. \* ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/50 "2008-11-24T20:06:13Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > The two leads in one of my favorite movies, “Once” aren’t named. They are identified as > Guy and Girl in the credits. Good one! I loved that movie and didn’t notice that they were never referred to by name. If you like detective novels, Bill Pronzini has a series of novels whose protagonist is never referred to by name. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/51 "2008-11-24T20:08:25Z")
Mrs. Ari on _Entourage_. > [@Mbossa](#): > > Janitor in _Scrubs_. Unless his name really is Dr Jan Itor. …and here I was thinking, “Well, maybe I won’t be the first to mention the Janitor, but at least I’ll probably be able to make a Dr. Jan Itor joke.” Damn SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/52 "2008-11-24T20:12:17Z")
Oh, Mr. Big from Sex and the City almost fits the bill. He wasn’t given a real name until the last minute of the series finale. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/53 "2008-11-24T20:13:45Z")
Just remembered another. In _Of Mice and Men_, Curley’s flirtatious wife was never named. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/54 "2008-11-24T20:14:13Z")
Captain Scarlet James Bond’s Q (Yes, I know they both have names, but not well known to the public. Try saying Gyles Boothroyd to someone, see if they know who it is) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/55 "2008-11-24T21:54:52Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > [The Continental Op.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Continental_Op) And in a later era of detective fiction, there’s Bill Pronzini’s “Nameless Detective”. I personally think that in a confrontation, the Op\* could kick Nameless’ butt; however that is another matter. \*“'Fore God, fat Shorty, you done hurt me!” ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/56 "2008-11-24T22:01:19Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > Oh, Mr. Big from Sex and the City almost fits the bill. He wasn’t given a real name until the last minute of the series finale. And that was just his first name, I believe. You don’t get his full name until the movie. And everyone still just calls him Mr. Big, I don’t actually remember his full name, it’s not used much. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/57 "2008-11-24T22:26:26Z")
Daniel Craig’s character in _Layer Cake_. Amusingly, he soon thereafter appeared in a film that used the song “You Know My Name” over its opening credits (_Casino Royale_). ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/58 "2008-11-24T22:32:43Z")
Outside of Neo (aka, Thomas Anderson), pretty much everyone in _The Matrix_ and its sequels were known only by their in-Matrix hacker names (e.g., Morpheus, Trinity, Tank, Apoc, Switch, Mouse, etc.). ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/59 "2008-11-24T22:38:14Z")
The narrator of Flann O’Brien’s _The Third Policeman_ has forgotten his name. He does, however, have a voice inside his head named Joe. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/60 "2008-11-24T22:59:07Z")
The name of the main character in the musical _Kismet_ is never revealed. He is mistaken for Hajj the Beggar, which is an important plot point, but is simply known in the script as “The Poet”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286.md?page=4)