History Main / MrSmith

** When they take their first case as Blunt's Brilliant Detectives in ''Partners in Crime'', Tommy deeply impresses his first client (who admittedly, is [[UpperClassTwit a bit of an idiot]]) by deducing that "Er ... Smith" isn't his real name. Tommy, in Literature/SherlockHolmes mode, goes on to expound that he doesn't know anyone called Smith, and is thinking of writing a monograph on the subject. He's a bit taken aback when a real Smith appears by the end of the case.

[[quoteright::[[Series/DoctorWho https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/doctor_john_smith.jpg]]]]

[[quoteright::[[Series/DoctorWho https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/doctor_john_smith.jpg]]]]

** When the Third Doctor joins UNIT as their scientific advisor, TheBrigadier asks for his name for their files. He is unimpressed when the Doctor comes up with "John Smith". The Doctor still continues to use that alias when required.
** The Doctor first used that alias a little earlier, when Jamie [[LineOfSightName saw the manufacturer's name on a piece of medical equipment.]] The new series has {{Retcon}}ned the First Doctor as using it as well (on his library card).

* Hong Kil-dong (홍길동 in Hangul, 洪吉童 in Hanja) is the name of a famous thief in a classic Korean novel but is commonly used nowadays as a filler name in South Korea, presumably because no real person is likely to be so named.

* Averted with Chinese: 陳大文 (Chén Dàwén in Mandarin pinyin, or either Chan Tai Man or Chan Tai-man in Cantonese) is the John Smith equivalent; however, although the surname 陳 is one of the most common surnames in Chinese, 大文 is a very rare given name, mainly chosen because the characters are quick to write.

* Hong Kil Dong is the name of a famous thief in a classic Korean novel but is commonly used nowadays as a filler name in South Korea, presumably because no real person is likely to be so named.

* In the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) public exams, for the English Language writing exam, candidates are required to use the placeholder name "Chris Wong" in place of their actual names (unless stated otherwise) in pieces of writing that may require the use of the writer's name, e.g. letters.[[note]]For the record, the use of the GenderBlenderName is {{enforced|Trope}} for the ''sake'' of gender neutrality.[[/note]] However, this is [[ZigZaggingTrope zigzagged]] as while "Wong" is a common Romanized-surname in Hong Kong (spread across two ubiquitous surnames, 王 and 黃, as well as several other less common ones), "Chris" isn't a particularly common English name for men ''or'' women, partially ''because'' gender-neutral names still haven't gained much traction locally.

* Averted with Chinese: 陳大文 (Chén Dàwén in Mandarin pinyin, or Chan Tai Man in Cantonese) is the John Smith equivalent; however, although the surname 陳 is one of the most common surnames in Chinese, 大文 is a very rare given name, mainly chosen because the characters are quick to write.

* In the ''Radio/SherlockHolmesBBCRadio episode "The Eye of Horus", when a panicky man on the run from both criminals and the police dithers over giving his name to a lodging house, the landlady rather sarcastically suggests "Smith is very popular". He takes her up on it, claiming to be John Smith.

-->'''Guybrush:''' Who, me? My name is Smith!\\
'''Guard:''' ''Smith'', eh? That's an unusual name.

* The SCV portrait from the orignal ''VideoGame/StarCraft'' is named Jim Smith.

* In the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) public exams, for the English Language writing exam, candidates are required to use the placeholder name "Chris Wong" in place of their actual names (unless stated otherwise) in pieces of writing that may require the use of the writer's name, e.g. letters.[[note]]For the record, the use of the GenderBlenderName is {{enforced|Trope}} for the ''sake'' of gender neutrality.[[/note]] However, this is [[ZigZaggingTrope zigzagged]] as while "Wong" is a common Romanized-surname in Hong Kong (spread across two ubiquitous surnames, 王 and 黃, as well as several other less common ones), "Chris" isn't a particularly common English name.

* At the start of ''Manga/FlyMeToTheMoon'', Tsukasa lists her parents' names as Tarou and Hanako on her marriage registration form. Her parents have never been shown or mentioned, but it's likely that the names she providedare fake, since they fall into this trope.

* In ''VideoGame/BatmanTheTelltaleSeries'', one of the characters in Season 1, Episode 4 simply goes by the name of John Doe. [[spoiler: However, thanks to his white skin and green hair, the player would immediately know [[ComicBook/TheJoker who he]] ''[[ComicBook/TheJoker really]]'' [[ComicBook/TheJoker is]]. Justified, as he's living in a mental asylum and refuses to give, or doesn't remember, his birth name.]]

* Not a pseudonym, but a similar phenomenon: in season 2 of ''Series/{{Lost}}'', Libby died before we could find out her last name. Fans clamored for years for more of Libby's story, including her last name, despite having been told by WordOfGod that none was forthcoming. Finally, at ComicCon between seasons 5 and 6, a montage of deceased characters finally gave her the name... Smith. It was as if the writers said, "You need her name? OK, it's Smith."

* ''A Piece of Resistance'', a novel by Clive Egleton set in a [[AlternateHistory Soviet-occupied Britain]]. The protagonist takes the cover name of "David Daniel" and his girlfriend comments sardonically that at least it's more original than Smith.

* ''Happy Ending'', by Creator/MackReynolds and Creator/FredricBrown. After his defeat, Number One, the Last of the Dictators, is dropped off at an abandoned outpost on Venus to hide from the subsequent manhunt. He instructs the loyalist spaceship captain who leaves him there to always think of him as Mr. Smith, not Number One, to prevent an inadvertent slip-up that could be used to track him down. Even the story never reveals his real name, calling him either Number One or Mr. Smith.

* ''Film/DieHard'' mocks this by having two Agent Johnsons show up ("No relation."). One's white, the other black. Amusingly, at one point when one of the agents is making a call to have the power to Nakatomi Plaza cut, he identifies himself as "Agent Johnson. No, the other one."

* ''Two Fathers Justice'' (1985). The mercenary camp the two vengeful fathers join calls all its trainees "Mr Smith" to preserve their anonymity. This comes in handy later on when they have to get past a guard who was also trained at the camp; they pointedly call him Mr Smith and [[TheGuardsMustBeCrazy pretend they were sent by his trainer to check security]].

'''The Doctor:''' ...John Smith.[[labelnote:Context]]The Doctor has consistently used the alias "Dr. John Smith" as their Earth identity.[[/labelnote]]\\

* Averted with Chinese: 陳大文 (Chén Dàwén in Mandarin pinyin, or Chan Tai Man in Cantonese) is the John Smith equivalent, however although the surname 陳 is one the most common surname in Chinese 大文 is a very rare given name, mainly chosen because the characters are quick to write.