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John Doe

For the musician and actor, see John Doe (musician)
For the television series, see John Doe (Television series)
For the children's book by L. Frank Baum, see John Dough and the Cherub

In English-speaking common-law jurisdiction, the name John Doe is used for a defendant or victim in a legal example or for a person whose identity is unknown or is intended to be anonymous. Male corpses whose identity is unknown are also known by the name John Doe. A female who is not known is referred to as Jane Doe. A child whose identity is unknown is referred to as Precious Doe. Additional people in the same family may be called James Doe, Judy Doe, etc.

An anonymous plaintiff is known as Richard Roe.

The Oxford English Dictionary states that John Doe is "the name given to the fictitious lessee of the plaintiff, in the (now obsolete) mixed action of ejectment, the fictitious defendant being called Richard Roe".

An account of the reasons why a fictitious tenant and a fictitious defendant were named is found in Charles Rembar 's book The Law of the Land.

By extension from the law usage, John Doe is often used in computer software needing a default or example first and last name for a form.

There is also a movie, directed by Frank Capra, starring Gary Cooper, called Meet John Doe . It is a political drama.

John Doe in other countries

Australia Fred Nurk, Joe Farnarkle
Austria Hans Meier, Hans Maier, Hans Mayer, Herr und Frau Österreicher
Belgium Jan Janssen, Piet Pietersen
Brazil Beltrano, Ciclano, Fulano, Zé ninguém, Joăo da Silva, Zé da Silva, Joăo Ninguém, Maria Ninguém
Canada G. Raymond
China 陈小明 (Mandarin: Chen Xiao Ming / Cantonese: Chan Siu Ming)
Colombia Fulano de Tal, Pepito Pérez;
Croatia Ivan Horvat, Pero Perić
Czech Republic Jan Novák, Karel Vomáčka
Denmark Morten Menigmand
Faroe Islands Miđalhampamađur
Finland Matti and Maija Meikäläinen
France Jean Dupont, Monsieur Durand
Germany Max and Erika Mustermann, Lischen Schmidt, Otto Normalverbraucher
Hungary Kovács János
Indonesia Si Polan
Iceland Međal-Jón, Međal-Jóna, Jón Jónsson, Jóna Jónsdóttir
Republic of Ireland Seán and Síle Citizen
Israel Israel Israeli ישראל ישראלי and also Ploni פלוני and Almoni (as a party to Ploni)
Italy Mario Rossi
Japan 名無しの権兵衛 (Nanashi no Gonbei)
Korea 홍길동 (Hong, Guil Dong)
Latvia Jānis Bērziņš
Lithuania Jonas Jonaitis, Petras Petraitis
Mexico Juan Pérez
Malaysia Si Anu, Si Polan, Si Polan Bin Si Polan
Malta Joe Borg
Netherlands a defendant is referred to with first name and initial, e.g. "Mohamed B."; Jan Modaal is approximately the Joneses, in particular referring to average wealth
Norway Ola and Kari Nordmann
Peru Juan Pérez, Fulano de Tal, Zutano, Mengano
Philippines Juan dela Cruz
Poland Jan Kowalski, Jan Nowak (but in legal/police work person unknown is NN)
Portugal Zé Ninguém
Romania Necunoscut
Russia Ivanov, Petrov and Sidorov, Vasya Pupkin, Vasya Tapochkin
Serbia and Montenegro Petar Petrovic
Slovenia Janez Novak
South Africa Koos van der Merwe
Sweden Medel-Svensson, Sven Svensson
Switzerland Herr und Frau Schweizer, Hans Meier, Hans Mustermann
Thailand Somchai, Sommai, Nai-Gor
United Kingdom Fred Bloggs or Joe Bloggs, John Smith
Uruguay Fulano, Mengano; Juan Perez
USA John Doe, Jane Doe, John Q. Public, Joe Blow, Joe Sixpack, Sally Sixpack, John Smith (which has largely been replaced with John Doe)
Vietnam Nguoi La

See also


Jane Doe is also the name of:

  • a song by hard rock band Mr. Big from their album Hey Man released in 1996.
  • a 2001 album by extreme metal band Converge.
  • a character in Galaxy Quest (not, obviously, her real name).

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