# 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:** 9
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/161 "2008-11-30T00:42:24Z")
> [@](#): > > by \*\*Chronos \*\* > Another famous example would be the Three Musketeers: They admit that Aramis, Athos, and Porthos are pseudonyms, but we never actually learn their real names in the book (though they do each identify themselves to duelling opponents in one scene, and we eventually learn Athos’ title). I’m not sure if any of the later books name them. from Wikipedia: > [@](#): > > Olivier d’Athos de la Fère > > Porthos du Vallon de Bracieux de Pierrefonds (his first name is unknown) . . . In The Three Musketeers his family name is du Vallon. In Twenty Years After, after a successful wedding, he is first known as du Vallon de Bracieux de Pierrefonds, then he earns the title of baron. > > René d’Aramis de Vannes (born René d’Herblay) Alexandre Dumas may or may not have known that the characters were named after three real musketeers: Armand de Sillègue d’Athos d’Autevielle, Isaac de Portau, Henri d’Aramitz. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/162 "2008-11-30T00:49:33Z")
The characters in José Saramago’s books _Ensaio sobre a cegueira_ and _Ensaio sobre a lucidez_ (translated as _Blindness_ and _Seeing_) aren’t given names. For example, the main character of _Blindness_ (and a central secondary character in _Seeing_) is simply referred to as “the eye doctor’s wife.” ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/163 "2008-11-30T05:49:13Z")
Good gravy! Four pages and _nobody_’s mentioned: [ol] [li]The Joker. Don’t even bring up “Jack Napier” from Tim Burton’s film – so not canon.[/li][li]Similarly, the burglar who killed Peter Parker/Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben – never given a name in the comics, but possibly was given one in the third movie (again, non-canon).[/li] [/ol] ---
**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 30, 2008, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/164 "2008-11-30T10:47:58Z")
Redcloak from Order Of The Stick. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/165 "2008-11-30T12:11:59Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > How about Charlie Brown’s crush on “the little red haired girl”? Wait, the little red-haired girl wasn’t Frieda? I always assumed they were one and the same. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/166 "2008-12-01T02:37:15Z")
> [@Sublight](#): > > Wait, the little red-haired girl wasn’t Frieda? I always assumed they were one and the same. No, Frieda pestered his lights out. Besides, he knew her name. ---
**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:** [December 1, 2008, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/167 "2008-12-01T02:39:05Z")
Was freida the one with naturally curly hair? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/168 "2008-12-01T02:58:54Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Was freida the one with naturally curly hair? And the [boneless cat](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frieda#Faron). ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/169 "2008-12-02T09:48:24Z")
Samurai Jack; his real name was never revealed I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Cider\_Depot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Cider\_Depot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cider_Depot)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/170 "2008-12-02T11:11:38Z")
The one-armed man, from The Fugitive ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/171 "2008-12-02T14:58:50Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Samurai Jack; his real name was never revealed I believe. He did have a symbol/sigil that I believe was his family/clan name. It was on the banner he flew while battling the robot army in the second half of the pilot episode. I wonder if it’s an actual Japanese character that could be translated. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/172 "2008-12-02T15:01:20Z")
> [@Agonist](#): > > The Haitian. > > Or is he not well-known enough? People just have trouble remembering him… He IS the one who wipes memory, right? ---
**Author:** ![Purgatory\_Creek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/74df32/32.png) [@Purgatory\_Creek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purgatory_Creek)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/173 "2008-12-02T16:08:58Z")
I feel so old. I stopped in to mention The Feral Kid from _Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior_. I actually thought the Gyro Captain had no name, but IMDB lists him as “Jedediah the Pilot.” Still one of my favorite movies, and I don’t care who knows it. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/174 "2008-12-02T17:41:42Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > [“Mom”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mom_(Futurama)) is not a robot; not unless there’s one hell of a plot twist coming up in future _Futurama_ material. Oh, \*that \* Futurama. I got it mixed up with the one in my head. I think I’ll go adjust my meds now. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/175 "2008-12-02T18:03:55Z")
> [@jovan](#): > > The lead character in **Yojimbo** is never given a name. In the sequel **Tsubaki Sanjuro** , he gives Tsubaki Sanjuro as his name, but it’s a joke. He’s looking out the window and the first thing he sees is a _tsubaki_ (camellia) tree. “Sanjuro”, would mean “30th son”. He finishes his line by: “but if you guys don’t hurry up, I’ll be Yonjuro when we get out of here.” “Yonjuro” = “40th son”. He does the same in _Yojimbo_, except he sees a field of mulberry trees on looking out the window and gives his name as “Kuwabatake Sanjuro,” respectively “mulberry field” and “thirty year old.” ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/176 "2008-12-02T18:10:05Z")
CONTROL Agent 99 ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/177 "2008-12-02T18:46:04Z")
> [@Dr.Rieux](#): > > CONTROL Agent 99 Post #72. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/178 "2008-12-08T05:42:20Z")
In the movie version of _The Postman_, we never learn the Postman’s real name, although it is given once or twice in the novel (I highly recommend the novel, the movie seems widely hated, although David Brin liked it, as do I) In _The Boondock Saints_, Il Duce’s actual name is unknown. The Driver, from _The Hire_, is never given a name. The only personal detail we ever learn about him over the course of something like eight short films and the comic books is that he is not married anymore. ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/179 "2008-12-08T16:04:29Z")
Fool in _King Lear_. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286/180 "2008-12-08T17:33:49Z")
> [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](#): > > The Babushka Lady from the Zapruder film, (also the Umbrella Man, and Badge Man who apparently isn’t in the film but is in a few still photos). Umbrella man came forward for the HSCA hearings in 1978. He is a Dallas resident named [Louie Steven Witt](http://www.jfk-online.com/jfk100tum.html). The name of the [Babushka Lady](http://www.geocities.com/shotonelm/Knoll/babushka.html) is still unknown, but [Gary Mack](http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/arrb/index66.htm) says a Kodak film processor in Dallas may have met her back in 1963, and said her slide was badly out of focus. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-characters-without-actual-names/474286.md?page=10)