Line #123 Main/MysteriousMiddleInitial


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7	->'''Spaulding:''' My name's Spaulding, Captain Spaulding.\
8	'''Chandler:''' And I am Roscoe W. Chandler.\
9	'''Spaulding:''' I am Jeffrey T. Spaulding. I'll bet you don't know what the T. stands for.\
10	'''Chandler:''' Uh... Thomas?\
11	'''Spaulding:''' Edgar. You were close, though. You were close, though, and you still are, I'll bet.
12	-->-- ''Theatre/AnimalCrackers''
13
14	Many fictional characters' names are shown as a first name, last name, and a middle initial in between. If this initial is short for a longer name, it's never stated in {{Canon}}. A Mysterious Middle Initial could also be the entire middle name, or a joke about the character's lack of an actual middle name, or an attempt to conceal an EmbarrassingMiddleName.
15
16	This is most likely because, it's easier to remember a middle initial (e.g.: "Robert J. Smith") rather than a full middle name (e.g.: "Robert James Smith") regardless of whether or not said middle initial actually stands for anything. It's going to become especially egregious in anime when a character with a very Japanese name has an English middle initial.
17
18	----
19	!!Examples:
20	[[foldercontrol]]
21
22	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
23	* William T. Spears of ''Anime/BlackButler''.
24	* Priscilla S. Asagiri of ''Anime/BubblegumCrisis''. [[AllThereInTheManual Some additional material]] (although of dubious canonicity) says that it stands for "[[Creator/KenichiSonoda Sonoda]]".
25	* Anime/CaptainHarlock has the awesomely-named of Phantom F. Harlock. No one knows what the F. stands for.
26	* Gilbert G.P. Guilford of ''Anime/CodeGeass'' has two mysterious initials.
27	* Touma H. Norstein of ''Anime/DigimonDataSquad''. He's half-Austrian, so he has a better reason to have an middle initial than other anime characters.
28	* The MrAltDisney Will B. Good in ''Anime/ErgoProxy'' -- also a PunnyName.
29	* Princess Hisui E. Fiore of ''Manga/FairyTail'' as well as her father Toma.
30	* Solf J. Kimblee, everyone's favorite MadBomber from ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist''. Arakawa states in an extra in volume 15 of the manga that it stands for "Ja ja jaan~"
31	* Walter C. Dornez from ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'', who was employed by the Hellsing Organization during [=WW2=] as a VampireHunter, and was known at the time as [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast the Angel of Death]]. When the main story takes place (about 50 years later), he had retired to become [[IronLady Sir Integra Hellsing's]] butler. His initial is never explained, but then again, [[InexplicablyAwesome there's a whole lot about Walter that's never really explained.]]
32	* The AnthropomorphicPersonification of America, Alfred F. Jones, in ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers''. Fanon says that the "F" stands for [[Film/TeamAmericaWorldPolice "Fuck Yeah!"]] [[AllThereInTheManual In one of the blog posts]], Himaruya said that the F stands for either 'Foster' or 'Franklin'. But the fandom generally ignores this.
33	* Robert Edward O. Speedwagon of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure''.
34	* Adolf Anime/{{K}}. Weismann. The initial doubles as a OneLetterTitle. Also probably the biggest [[spoiler: subversion of]] NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast.
35	* ''Anime/LastExile'' has Alvis E. Hamilton.
36	* Although it's not his real name, Setsuna F. Seiei of ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundam00 Gundam 00]]'' According to WordOfGod, his {{codename}} is very [[PropheticNames prophetic]].
37	* Inverted in ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'', where the full story of Fate ''gaining'' a middle name is shown to us. Fate Testarossa gets adopted by the Harlaown family at the end of the ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAs'', and the epilogue reveals that her name has changed from Fate Testarossa to Fate T. Harlaown, with her original surname being converted to a middle name and shortened as an initial. In subsequent series, she's still credited as Fate T. Harlaown, but she always introduces herself as Fate Testarossa Harlaown.
38	* [[AlliterativeName Takamichi T. Takahata]] (seriously, what ''is'' a thoroughly Japanese name like that doing with a middle initial?) and Takane D. Goodman of ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi''.
39	* Likewise, 4Kids's dub of ''Anime/OjamajoDoremi'' changed Senoo Aiko's name to Mirabelle P. Haywood. Again, no idea what the "P" meant.
40	* ''Manga/OnePiece'': Many of the world's most powerful people have the middle initial of "[[ArcWords D]]", and nobody seems to know what it means or what it stands for, aside from signifying you're a badass. This has been referred to as the "Will of D," and it is even recognized by characters in the story.
41	* Oscar H. Genius (yes, really) from ''Anime/PantyAndStockingWithGarterbelt''.
42	* Though it's just a regular Mysterious Initial, Count D of ''Manga/PetShopOfHorrors'' is always known simply as Count D. The chapter titles, however, are all words that begin with the letter D. Suggestions, perhaps?
43	* Another example of a Mysterious Middle Initial in a very Japanese name-Kotetsu T. Kaburagi of ''Anime/TigerAndBunny''.
44	* In the English dub of ''Manga/TokyoMewMew'', Akasaka Keiichiro's name was changed to Wesley J. Coolridge III. It's doubtful even 4Kids knew what the "J" stood for.
45	* Nicholas D. Wolfwood of ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'', although when asked, the creator has offered a variety of (funny) possibilities.
46	* ''Anime/YuGiOh'' has Pegasus J. Crawford-- the J. was chosen deliberately as a tribute to all those cartoon characters with J for a middle initial.
47	[[/folder]]
48
49	[[folder:Comic Books]]
50	* A ''WesternAnimation/FelixTheCat'' comic story had Felix operating as a private detective under the name of Felix T. [[SpeciesSurname Cat]]. When asked, he says that the "T" stands for "The".
51	* ''{{ComicStrip/Garfield}}'': Jon's full name is Jonathan Q. Arbuckle.
52	* Virtually every member of Franchise/GIJoe has a middle initial listed on their toy filecard and other bios that is never elaborated on -- Shipwreck is Hector X. Delgado, Roadblock is Marvin F. Hinton, Scarlett is Shana M. O'Hara, etc. Possibly the only one that ''is'' explained: Quick Kick's real name is [=MacArthur=] S Ito, and like Harry Truman the S doesn't stand for anything, his middle name is simply the letter S. Ditto for Tollbooth, Chuck X. Goren.
53	* ComicBook/HowardTheDuck occasionally signs documents "Howard T. Duck", implying that the word "the" might actually ''be'' his middle name.
54	* ''WesternAnimation/KryptoTheSuperdog'': In one story from the ComicBookAdaptation, he disguises himself under the name Silas P. Sham.
55	* ''Comicbook/LaffALympics'':
56	** The games played in "The Day the Rottens Won" took place at the Gerald K. Doonton memorial coliseum.
57	** "Take Me Out to the Brawl Game" features the Horace W. Underburger stadium.
58	** In "The Man Who Stole Thursday", Captain Caveman gives an autograph to a boy named Howard R. Flintwhiller.
59	* J. Wellington Wimpy from ''ComicStrip/{{Popeye}}'' has a mysterious first initial.
60	* ''ComicBook/ScottPilgrim'' features both Scott W. Pilgrim and Ramona V. Flowers. While we learn that the "V" in Ramona's name stands for "Victoria," we never learn what "W" stands for in Scott's name.
61	** Even more mysterious is Wallace P. Weldon, which appears on his and Scott's mailbox in volume 1, before Wallace's last name is established as Wells.
62	[[/folder]]
63
64	[[folder:Fan Fic]]
65	* ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesTheSeries'' has Sherman J. [[SpeciesSurname Hamster.]]
66	* ''Fanfic/GlitterForceIntoTheGlitterverse'': [[Anime/YesPrettyCure5 Nozomi]]'s Glitter form, Nora, has the middle initial H, which is never explained (WordOfGod says it stands for Hope). [[Anime/FutariWaPrettyCure Honoka]] even lampshades it.
67	[[/folder]]
68
69	[[folder:Film -- Animation]]
70	* Ansel T. Beauregard of ''WesternAnimation/ArloTheAlligatorBoy''.
71	* Archimedes Q. Porter from Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Tarzan}}''.
72	[[/folder]]
73
74	[[folder:Film -- Live Action]]
75	* Bill S. Preston of ''Franchise/BillAndTed''. He constantly introduces himself with an additional "Esquire" on the end but never reveals what the "S." stands for.
76	* ''Franchise/EvilDead'''s Ashley J. Williams.
77	* Harris K. Telemacher in ''Film/LAStory''.
78	* Music/JohnLennon's narration in ''Film/MagicalMysteryTour'' referred to Music/RingoStarr as "Richard B. Starkey", despite the fact that he has no middle name in RealLife.
79	** RuleOfFunny most likely, 'Stark' is British slang for Naked. So, basically 'Richard Be Naked'.
80	* Many of the characters played by [[Creator/MarxBrothers Groucho Marx]]:
81	** Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding in ''Theatre/AnimalCrackers''. (And the T stands for [[ShoehornedFirstLetter Edgar]].)
82	** Rufus T. Firefly in ''Film/DuckSoup''.
83	** Otis B. Driftwood in ''Film/ANightAtTheOpera''.
84	** Hugo Z. Hackenbush in ''Film/ADayAtTheRaces1937''.
85	* In ''Film/TheMatrix'', Neo's original name is "Thomas A. Anderson".
86	* ''Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow'': Dr. Frank N. Furter. Sure, his full name is a [[PunnyName play on both "Frankenstein" and "Frankfurter (hence the infamous "You're a hot dog" line in the film)]]. But, as the song ''Planet Schmanet/Wise Up, Janet Weiss'' indicates, Frank is his first name, Furter is his last name...and it's never revealed what his middle initial "N" stands for.
87	** Brad's police statement refers to him as "Bradley J. Majors".
88	* In ''Film/RomancingTheStone'', Jack gives his name as "Jack T. Colton." While berating him, Joan says (among other things) that "a real man is trustworthy." Later, when she asks what the "T" stands for, [[IronicEcho he says, "Trustworthy."]] But we never find out what the "T" ''really'' stands for.
89	[[/folder]]
90
91	[[folder:Literature]]
92	* Elmer C. Albatross from ''Literature/{{Baccano}}''.
93	* Dr David Q. Dawson in ''Literature/BasilOfBakerStreet'', being a rodent version of John Watson.
94	* ''Literature/BrewstersMillions'': Montgomery Brewster's maternal Uncle James T. Sedgwick.
95	* All of the characters in the book ''Literature/TheCircusOfDoctorLao'' have the middle initial R.
96	* ''Literature/DaveBarrySleptHere'' claimed that Harry S Truman's family was so poor that they couldn't afford to put a period after his middle initial, and posed a "trick discussion question" about what the "S" stood for.
97	-->(Hint: "Lucille")
98	* The ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' book ''Literature/{{Maskerade}}'' has Perdita X. Dream, whose "X" stands for "someone who has a cool and exciting middle name."
99	** In ''Literature/{{Thud}}'' we even get introduced to deputy constable A.E. Pessimal, who -- strictly speaking -- does not exactly fit this trope, since he wasn't named as a child, he was "initialled", so A.E. is his full first (or first and middle) name.
100	* [[Literature/HarrietTheSpy Harriet M. Welsch]] doesn't really have a middle name. She added the initial herself.
101	** Although in ''Harriet Spies Again'' she claims the M stands for Middle.
102	* {{Invoked\|Trope}} in ''Literature/TheFarawayPaladin'': When William leaves home to answer his CallToAdventure, Gus brings up an old tradition in some cultures in their world where children make a portmanteau of their parent's names as a surname. They go with "Maryblood" after his surrogate mother and father Mary and Blood; William chooses to add the middle initial "G" for Gus, his surrogate grandfather. Gus grumpily shouts after him as he leaves that it ought to be "A" for Augustus.
103	* W.E.B Du Havel from ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' has three of them. They don't actually stand for anything.
104	** After he escaped slavery he named ''himself'' that, after the historical figures W.E.B. Du Bois and Václav Havel. The problem was that he didn't know what W.E.B. stood for (having been a slave, his education was spotty), and he didn't have time to look it up, so he just made W.E.B his first name (he's usually called Web).
105	* ''Literature/SherlockHolmes'''s biographer, Dr. John H. Watson. You can make a pretty good case for the 'H' standing for either 'Hamish' or 'Henry.' In 'The Man with the Twisted Lip' Mrs. Watson calls the good doctor 'James,' and it is proposed that is a pet nickname/pun derived from his middle name (Hamish is the Scottish variant of 'James') Otherwise, this would mean that Mrs. Watson forgot her husband's name, which would be a bad thing. Alternatively, he could be named after Cardinal Creator/JohnHenryNewman, who was an influential figure around the time Watson would have been born, and a lot of people were named after him. Henry is a fairly safe bet because it was probably the most common male name beginning with H at the time... \
106	\
107	...Though from the [[WatsonianVersusDoylist Doylist]] perspective, it's just as likely his creator forgot. Creator/ArthurConanDoyle was notorious for changing names in the books, which is why Holmes's landlady is sometimes Mrs Hudson... and sometimes not. So if the H ever stood for something, there's no guarantee it was just one name.
108	* The mentally-disabled titular character of ''Literature/SoBIt'' calls herself "So be it", and her neighbor decided it was her full name, complete with middle initial. [[spoiler: It's her first name, "Sophia".]]
109	* In Creator/MichaelChabon's ''Literature/{{Summerland}},'' Jennifer T. Rideout claims that the "T" doesn't stand for anything. We later learn that her middle name is Theodora.
110	* SmugSnake Bob Ewell from ''Literature/ToKillAMockingbird'' is named after the famous Southern general Robert E. Lee. Whilst Lee's middle name was Edward, Ewell's full name is actually "Robert E. Lee Ewell".
111	[[/folder]]
112
113	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
114	* In ''Series/ThirdRockFromTheSun'', Pendleton University's badger mascot is named Pendleton J. Badger.
115	* ''Series/TheAddamsFamily'': SubvertedTrope. When Thing went missing and the Addamses hired a detective to find him, they said his name was Thing T. Thing and, when asked what the middle T. stood for, they said it meant [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Thing]].
116	* Captain John J. Sheridan in ''[[Series/BabylonFive Babylon 5]]''.
117	* ''[[Series/BattlestarGalactica2003 Battlestar Galactica]]'': Raptor co-pilot Karl C. Agathon and Caprica Buccaneers captain cum resistance leader Samuel T. Anders.
118	* 1980s Creator/{{CBBC}} mascot Gordon T. Gopher. In one spin-off book he insists it doesn't stand for "the", but [[EmbarrassingMiddleName refuses to say what it does stand for]].
119	** And now they have Hacker T. Dog. And that does stand for "[[SpellMyNameWithAThe The]]".
120	* ''Series/TheDukesOfHazzard'' has Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane. It stand for "Purvis."
121	* In ''Series/FamilyTies'', Alex P. Keaton got his middle name from an ad lib done by an actor who also fits the trope: Michael J. Fox! It was never revealed what the P. stood for, although given his parents' status as former '60s hippies, it's been suggested that it stands for "[[WhoNamesTheirKidDude Peace]]".
122	* ''Series/{{Friends}}'': Monica Geller reveals her middle initial is "E" after buying a stock option for a company that uses the letters "MEG" because those are her initials. The audience never learns what the E stands for.
123	* Invoked by Crowley (and PlayedForLaughs) in ''Series/GoodOmens2019''. When Aziraphale first hears him being addressed as Anthony J. Crowley, the name he goes by when posing as human, he asks him what the J stands for. Crowley responds that it stands for nothing, and "it's just a J, really."
124	* "This is Stanley H. Tweedle, Captain of the Series/{{Lexx}}..."
125	* ''Series/TheMagnificentSeven'': Ezra once introduces himself as "Ezra P. Standish"; when asked what it stands for, he says "[[MetaphorIsMyMiddleName persuasive]]". (And since Ezra is a known con-artist with at least two aliases, that might not even be a real initial.)
126	* In ''Series/TheManyLovesOfDobieGillis'', Bob Denver played a strange beatnik character named Maynard G. Krebs. In one episode he admitted that the G. stood for "Walter".
127	* ''Series/{{Mash}}''
128	** One episode sees Hawkeye losing it trying to find out B.J. Hunnicutt's full name. [[spoiler: Apparently it's "BJ", named for his mother Bea and his father Jay...without periods. Hawkeye refuses to believe it.]]
129	** Don't forget Maxwell Q. Klinger.
130	** Sherman T. Potter. The actor who played Potter believed the character's middle name to be "Tecumseh", after William Tecumseh Sherman.
131	* Series/TheMuppetShow: "Kermit T. Frog, here." According to the credits list, it stands for "The."
132	* ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'': Crow T. Robot. [[SpellMyNameWithAThe It stands for "The."]]
133	* C. C. Babcock from ''Series/TheNanny'', whose middle and first initial are mysterious. The last episode reveals that it stands for [[spoiler:Chastity Claire]].
134	* Dwight from ''Series/TheOfficeUS'' introduces himself as Dwight K. Schrute so frequently that it comes as a surprise to his coworkers when they take him to an emergency room and realize that none of them know for sure what the K. stands for. The fact that his deskmate, Jim, actually does know the answer (it's Kurt) is taken as a sign that they spend a depressingly large amount of time together.
135	* Brazilian soap opera ''O Rei do Gado'' ("The Cattle King" or "The King of Cattle") has Bruno B. Mezenga but it's only mysterious in-universe. All viewers know his middle name to be Berdinazzi. (His mother's maiden name) His parents' past was of the Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet kind and his maternal uncles (except, fortunately, the one he was named after) cheated his mother and his maternal grandmother out of their shares of the Berdinazzi estate after Grandpa Berdinazzi passed away. Because of that, he refuses to acknowledge any part of that name besides the initial.
136	* ''Series/PersonOfInterest'':
137	** The real name of protagonist John Reese is John H. (Last name currently unknown).
138	** Detective and Team Machine member Lionel P. Fucso.
139	** The Machine's co-creator Nathan C. Ingram.
140	** Harold's fiance Grace R. Hendricks.
141	** [[DirtyCop HR]] members Alonzo D. Quinn, Officer Patrick M. Simmons, Det. William J. Petersen.
142	** Carl G. Elias and his [[TheDragon right hand man]] Anthony S. "Scarface" Marconi.
143	** Father and son mob bosses Don Gianni F. Moretti, Sr and Jr.
144	** Norther Lights members Senator Ross H. Garrison, Robert N. Hersh, Alicia M. Corwin, and Denton L. Weeks.
145	** Decima Technolgies member Martine S. Rousseau.
146	** Psychiatrist Dr. Ronald W. Carmichael.
147	** Apartment superintendent Ernest P. "Ernie" Trask whose actual name is Ernesto Machado.
148	** Former NSA employee Henry L. Peck.
149	** Lifetrace CEO Wayne L. Kruger.
150	** Black Market Bazaar creator Owen T. Matthews.
151	** Intelligence advisor Manuel E. Rivera.
152	** The only exception is rapist [[GunmanWithThreeNames Andrew William Benton]].
153	* Fred Sanford of ''Series/SanfordAndSon'' had the middle initial G. but constantly changed what it meant for comedic purposes of what fit the scenario.
154	* ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'': David S. Pumpkins.
155	-->'''Mark (Beck Bennett):''' He has a middle initial now?!
156	* James T. Kirk's middle name, Tiberius, wasn't revealed in [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries the original series]]. It was first mentioned in the semi-canon [[WesternAnimation/StarTrekTheAnimatedSeries animated series]], but it was confirmed in ''Film/{{Star Trek VI\|The Undiscovered Country}}''.
157	** William T. Riker on ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' was thought to be a shout-out to James Tiberius Kirk, but was revealed in a later season to just be "Thomas".
158	*** Prior to this, in a (non-canon) novel Creator/PeterDavid had given it as 'Thelonius', probably in a homage to Kirk's style of middle name, or a homage to jazz musician Thelonious Monk and a reference to Riker's trombone playing. He attempted to {{Retcon}} this with 'Thomas Thelonius' in a later novel.
159	** Even more mysterious is James ''[[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness R.]]'' Kirk's middle name, in the second pilot, ''[[Recap/StarTrekS1E3WhereNoManHasGoneBefore Where No Man Has Gone Before]]''. It's never used in dialogue, but is seen on a tombstone that [[AGodAmI Gary Mitchell]] produces for him during their final confrontation. One unofficial explanation offered over the years is that despite his newly-gained powers Mitchell [[CuttingTheKnot simply made a mistake]].
160	* ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'': Phil Coulson's full name is Phillip J. Coulson. While it is never revealed what the "J" stands for, his full name is stated repeatedly when he is addresed by the Chronicom Enoch.
161	[[/folder]]
162
163	[[folder:Music]]
164	* The title character of Music/ThePrettyThings' rock opera ''Music/SFSorrow''. The short story that accompanied the album mentions that the S stood for Sebastian, but no mention of what the F stood for. Even the 2003 remaster has a little note saying "And nobody still knows what the F stood for".
165	[[/folder]]
166
167	[[folder:Theatre]]
168	* John P. Wintergreen in ''Theatre/OfTheeISing''. Ira Gershwin wrote that when he asked co-author George S. Kaufman what the initial stood for, he was told, "'Why, Peppermint, of course!' with a look that could only mean that any child knew ''that''." (Kaufman's writing credits also include ''Film/TheCocoanuts'', ''Theatre/AnimalCrackers'' and ''Film/ANightAtTheOpera'', and his own middle initial is fairly mysterious.)
169	[[/folder]]
170
171	[[folder:Video Games]]
172	* ''Franchise/BlazBlue'' has Valkenhayn R. Hellsing, Rachel Alucard's BattleButler.
173	* ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaIIIDraculasCurse'' introduces Trevor C. Belmont (or [[DubNameChange Ralph]] C. [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Belmond]] in the Japanese version) and Adrian F. Tepes (a.k.a. Alucard). Alucard's middle name, Farenheights, is actually revealed in the Japanese manual and is later mentioned in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight''.
174	** Farenheights is speculated to be his mother Lisa's last/maiden name.
175	** According to rumors, Trevor C. Belmont's middle initial stands for Christopher. Originally, ''Castlevania III'' was supposed to feature Christopher Belmont (Simon's predecessor mentioned in the Japanese manual for ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaI''), but he ended up being the protagonist of ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaTheAdventure'' for the UsefulNotes/GameBoy instead, forcing the developers to come up with another Belmont for the third NES game. The middle initial was thrown in as a hint of the developers' original intentions.
176	* Kain R. Heinlein from ''[[VideoGame/FatalFury Garou: Mark of the Wolves.]]'' Given his name's a partial reference to writer Creator/RobertHeinlein though, "Robert" could be his middle name.
177	* ''VideoGame/DanceCentral'': Dare P. Batheson is the only character of the group known to have a middle name, but what that name is is anyone's guess.
178	* ''VideoGame/DecapAttack'' combines this with PunnyName. The player character is Chuck D. Head, his creator is Dr. Frank N. Stein and the BigBad is Max D. Cap.
179	* ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'' has Spamton G. Spamton. It's not clear what the G stands for, as its only purpose seems to be to break up Spamton's otherwise RepetitiveName.
180	* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'': The Kongs' ArchEnemy, King K. Rool. What does the "K." stand for? WordOfGod admits they never even thought of a meaning for it, aside from it sounding out "cruel". For what it's worth, concept art shows he was originally called "Krudd".
181	* Looking at a particular book cover in ''VideoGame/EternalDarkness'' reveals the full name of one of the chosen to be Edwin H. Lindsey.
182	* Rolento F. Schugerg from ''VideoGame/FinalFight'' and ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' (the full name is only revealed in a promotional flyer for ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha 2'').
183	** There's also William F. Guile from the ''Film/StreetFighter'' film, which is not really the character's full name in the games, but still counts as an example.
184	* ''Website/GaiaOnline'''s iconic [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney eccentric]] [[CorruptCorporateExecutive businessman]], [[BumblingDad Johnny K. Gambino]]. According to WordOfGod, "the world is not ready to know" what the K stands for.
185	* The first ''VideoGame/GalaxyAngel'' game has Camus O. Laphroaig, the leader of the [[QuirkyMinibossSquad Hell Hounds]].
186	** The sequel trilogy, ''VideoGame/GalaxyAngelII'', has Lily C. Sherbet, one of the members of the Rune Angel Wing. The final game reveals the C stands for "Caramel", her mother's maiden name.
187	* Keith T. Maxwell of ''VideoGame/GalaxyOnFire'' II combines this with MetaphorIsMyMiddleName:
188	--> '''Maxwell:''' "Dangerous" is my second middle name.
189	--> '''Boyle:''' Oh, and what's your first then?
190	--> '''Maxwell:''' T.
191	* ''VideoGame/GrowingUp'' has Richard P. Nelson, where the P in his name isn't short for anything because it's just his mother's favorite letter.
192	* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel'' has the father and daughter, Victor S. Arseid and Laura S. Arseid having the "S." middle initial letter. ''Cold Steel III'' reveals that the "S." stood for [[spoiler:Sandlot, in honor of the legendary Lance Maiden, Lianne Sandlot, [[EarlyBirdCameo also known as]] [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsFromZeroAndTrailsToAzure Arianrhod]]. Lianne herself, as she lays dying, asks Laura to continue the tradition which Laura accepts.]]
193	* Dr. Albert W. Wily of ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'' fame.
194	* ''VideoGame/MegaManStarForce 3'' has Arthur C. Eos, [[FunWithAcronyms better known as Ace]].
195	* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' has Sonya A. Blade. Not even her ex-husband knows what her middle name is.
196	* ''VideoGame/OctopathTravelerII'' has one of the main characters, Osvald V. Vanstein. What the middle "V." stands for is never stated.
197	* [[TieInNovel Tie In Novels]] for ''VideoGame/{{Planetfall}}'' call the FeaturelessProtagonist Homer B. Hunter.
198	* Kenneth J. Sullivan and Oswell E. Spencer from the ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' series. Subverted with Leon S. Kennedy, whose middle name is revealed to be "Scott" in the manual for ''Videogame/ResidentEvil2''.
199	* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfMonkeyIsland'', a minor subplot in the 4th chapter involves one character wanting revenge on Guybrush Threepwood for reasons he doesn't remember. It turns out she'd been wronged by Guybrush ''Q'' Threepwood, whereas the main character is Guybrush ''U'' Threepwood. (the U stands for Ulysses, which is something of a MeaningfulName) Apparently, Guybrush U still gets Guybrush Q's mail.
200	* Klarth F. Lester from ''VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia'' and Fulein K. Lester from a spin-off sequel, Summoner's Lineage, despite the fact that no one else in their world in any time period has a middle initial.
201	[[/folder]]
202
203	[[folder:Webcomics]]
204	* In [[http://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook/?date=2007-06-23 this]] ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' sketchbook strip, Grace is revealed to have the middle initial "T".
205	[[/folder]]
206
207	[[folder:Web Original]]
208	* ''Series/TheCryOfMann'': Jouglet V. Man, with the "V" never being explained.
209	* Creator/DinaMNealey's middle initial stands for "anything you want." This is a bit of a ShoutOut to [[Series/{{Mash}} B. J Hunnicutt,]] who would give that same reply to anyone who asked what "B. J." stood for.
210	* The main character of ''WebVideo/DoomHouse'' is Reginald P. Linux.
211	* ''Website/RPCAuthority'': [[https://rpcauthority.wikidot.com/rpc-049 RPC-049]]'s full name is Janet E. Neuman, what the E stands for is unknown.
212	* Then there also is [[WebVideo/BumReviews Chester A. Bum]]. He is [[PunnyName Chester, a bum]].
213	** In one episode, WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic claims his legally born name is in fact "Poor E. Broke".
214	[[/folder]]
215
216	[[folder:Western Animation]]
217	* Many cartoon characters have the middle initial "J":
218	** ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'': "I am Ewmer J. Fudd, miwwionaiwe. I own a mansion and a yacht.".
219	** The frog in "WesternAnimation/OneFroggyEvening" was retroactively named "Michigan [[SpeciesSurname Frog]]" and given "J." as a middle initial because of this rule.
220	** ''WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle'': Rocket J. Squirrel and Bullwinkle J. Moose. The J was a reference to their creator, Jay Ward.
221	*** Parodied in a skit where Bullwinkle signs something with an X, Rocket queries him for why he does so to which Bullwinkle replies "It's my middle initial"
222	** ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Homer J. Simpson is a relatively well-known example. His middle initial stands for "Jay".
223	*** And his son Bartholomew J. Simpson. His middle initial stands for "Jojo".
224	*** And his father Abraham J. Simpson. His middle initial stands for "Jebediah". According to Creator/MattGroening, all the [=Js=] were a ShoutOut to ''Rocky and Bullwinkle''.
225	** ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' never revealed Philip J. Fry's full middle name.
226	*** Nor that of his great-nephew Hubert J. Farnsworth.
227	** In ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'', there's Sheldon J. Plankton and Eugene H. Krabs whose middle initials stand for [[WordOfGod James and Harold respectively]].
228	*** There's also the eponymous Cuddle E. Hugs from Season 11. The E stands for Eat.
229	** ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'' has Theodore J. "TJ" Detweiler. In one episode Randall and Menlo try to blackmail him by threatening to reveal what the J stands for. In the special ''All Growed Down'' it was revealed the J stands for Jasper.
230	*** Randall J. Weems is himself a case of this trope.
231	** Beezy J. Heinous on ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes''. Eventually revealed to stand for "Jo-Jo".
232	** Stimpson J. Cat from ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow''.
233	** Parker J. Cloud from ''WesternAnimation/MiddlemostPost''.
234	* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' has Sarah G. Lato, [[PunnyName an ice]] [[AnthropomorphicFood cream cone]].
235	* The animated series based on ''WesternAnimation/TheBerenstainBears'' books gave Papa Bear a middle initial of Q.
236	* The titular protagonist in ''WesternAnimation/BoJackHorseman'' has F as a middle initial. However, it is never revealed what that "F" name is.
237	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Bonkers}}'': Bonkers D. Bobcat, whose mysterious middle initial is also a play on the word "the".
238	* ''WesternAnimation/BumpInTheNight'':
239	** Squishington gave his full name as Squishington A. Peabody in the episode "Sock It To Me", while the later episode "Love's Labor Bumped" had Mr. Bumpy claim that his friend's full name is F. Lee Squishington. It's never clarified what the initial stands for in either name.
240	** One-shot character Odiferous J. Stench. Not once in the episode "Love Stinks" is it ever stated what the J stands for.
241	** The ChristmasEpisode "'Twas the Night Before Bumpy" had Bumpy and Squishington encounter a British hummingbird named Doris D. Bird. What the D stands for is never explained.
242	* In ''WesternAnimation/CampLazlo'', there's Algonquin C. Lumpus, and there's Edward T. Platypus (of the "The" sort, presumably).
243	* The ''WesternAnimation/DangerMouse'' episode "The Man From Gadget" has Egregious M. Murphy, senior sales rep for Gadgets Inc., who comes up with a doozy when D.M. asks him about his middle initial:
244	-->'''D.M.:''' [[WhatsAHenway What's the "M" for?]]
245	-->'''Murphy:''' The M-4 is a motorway that runs from London to South Wales, ask me another Magnus!
246	* Timothy Q. Mouse from Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Dumbo}}''.
247	* ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'': Blooregard Q. Kazoo. Granted, he's an imaginary friend who was created by a three year old, and their names tend towards the silly and random, so he might not have a middle name at all.
248	* ''WesternAnimation/HarrietTheSpy'': Harriet M. Welsch. When asked by a classmate what the "M" in her name stood for, Harriet answered that it was just an "M" and doesn't stand for anything (much to the other students' confusion). The issue gets furthered muddled when it turns out she had written her name as "Harriet M Welsch" in the past. When trying to determine the correct way to write her name, it's revealed that [[spoiler:her father had mistakenly scribbled on her birth certificate while trying to the ink in his pen flowing, resulting in the system registering the scribble as an "M"]].
249	* ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' has Helga G. Pataki, who promises a visit from [[ICallItVera ''Old Betsy'']] for those who inquire too closely about the "G." WordOfGod says it's [[spoiler: Geraldine, named for former head of Nickelodeon animation Geraldine Laybourne.]]
250	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': Some of the Loud kids (and their dad Lynn Sr.) have L as a middle initial, keeping with the AlliterativeName, although all of them are given the middle name "Marie" whenever they're in trouble.[[note]]Case in point: Lori, the eldest, is shown with the middle initial L on her driver's license in an early episode, but later, [[TheDitz ditzy]] Leni remarks she had always thought Lori's middle name was Marie.[[/note]] The only Loud kid with a definitive middle name is Lincoln, whose middle name is Albert, after his maternal grandfather. Also the principal Wilbur T. Huggins.
251	* ''WesternAnimation/MooseAndZee'': It was never revealed what the A in Moose A. Moose’s name stood for.
252	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ninjago}}'': Pythor P. Chumsworth's middle initial is unknown as to what it stands for and we're unliekly to ever know.
253	* In one episode of the ''WesternAnimation/PacMan'' cartoon, Clyde gives his full name as Clyde Q. Ghostmonster.
254	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'" has some P examples as well as j examples. In his first appearance Gus cls himself Gus P. Griswald and Miss Finster calls herself Muriel P. Finster in the movie.
255	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretShow'': Kent B. Trusted
256	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' also have a mysterious first initial. In the "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" two-parter, it is revealed that Skinner's full name is "W. Seymour Skinner", just for the sake of adding him to the list of suspects that have for initials either WS or SM. [[spoiler:the culprit was Maggie Simpson.]] This is never mentioned again in the series.
257	** There's also C. Montgomery Burns (the C stands for Charles).
258	** "D'oh-in In the Wind" reveals that Homer himself doesn't know what his middle initial "J." stands for, nor does his father Abe. He goes to his mother's former hippie commune to find out his middle name and is ridiculously excited to learn that it's [[spoiler:[[DistinctionWithoutADifference Jay]].]]
259	* ''WesternAnimation/StuntDawgs'': Richard P. Fungus. There's also a case of Mysterious First Initial with Fungus' twin R. Peter Fungus.
260	* ''WesternAnimation/ThreeTwoOnePenguins'' has Jason T. Conrad.
261	* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'': Thaddeus S. Venture.
262	* Wile E. Coyote, Super Genius.
263	** A clue on Series/{{Jeopardy}} told that the E. in Wile E.'s name stood for Ethelbert. But Mark Evanier relates that it was unofficial since it was used in a Road Runner comic book he scripted for Gold Key.
264	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Wunschpunsch}}'': Maledictus T. Maggot. We never learnt what the T stood for.
265	[[/folder]]
266
267	[[folder:Other]]
268	* Alfred E. Neumann, the mascot of ''Magazine/{{MAD}}''.
269	* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Q._Public John Q. Public]], though the initial is often interpreted as "Quincy."
270	* And, for a Mysterious ''First'' Initial, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Random_Hacker J. Random Hacker]].
271	* ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'' has Leonard L. Church and Michael J. Caboose, although even their first names are rarely mentioned, and Church's middle initial only shows up in a character profile on the DVD.
272	* The [[StaticStunGun taser gun]] gets its name from an acronym: "'''T'''homas '''A'''. '''S'''wift's '''E'''lectric '''R'''ifle", which in turn derives from the Literature/TomSwift book series, in which just such an electric stun gun is featured. The Taser creator has admitted the A doesn't stand for anything necessarily and wasn't part of the original Tom Swift's name; he simply used it to achieve a [[FunWithAcronyms cool acronym]] akin to "laser".
273	[[/folder]]
274
275	[[folder:Real Life]]
276	* Jesus H. Christ is a false example: the "H" is derived from "IHC", which was commonly mistaken to be a set of initials but is actually "Jesus" abbreviated in Greek letters (the H is an eta, and the C is a lunate sigma[[note]]the Greek letter "sigma", in its lowercase form, is σ if it occurs in the middle of a word, but ς if it occurs at the end[[/note]]). For that matter, Christ is a ''title'', not a last name, and only became permanently attached to his name after his death. Jesus was referred to instead as "Jesus of Nazareth" or "Jesus the Nazarean", or "Jesus the carpenter's son", or "Jesus, Mary's son." His parents were ''not'' Mary and Joseph Christ.
277	** In ''Literature/{{Lamb}}'', Christopher Moore jokingly proposes [[spoiler:Hallowed]] as a possible middle name. "It's a family name. You know, [[spoiler: Our Father, Who Art in Heaven, Hallowed Be Thy Name...]]..."
278	** [[spoiler:Harold]] is sometimes proposed for the same reason.
279	** Similarly, it could be [[spoiler:Huan]], since the Bible tells us that [[spoiler:God is Huan]].
280	** It's an old joke among bio majors that it stands for "[[https://www.diffen.com/difference/Diploid_vs_Haploid Haploid]]", since, as the product of immaculate conception, Jesus would have had half the usual number of chromosomes.
281	** Some people claim it should stand for "Holy".
282	* Hiram Ulysses Grant had a clerical error for a middle initial. At some point in the application process for West Point, his first name was dropped, and his middle name sprouted another S, which people assumed stood for his mother's maiden name, Simpson. UsefulNotes/UlyssesSGrant later decided that he preferred this name over [[FluffyTheTerrible General HUG]], although he never officially claimed that the S stood for anything.
283	** Another explanation floats around that rather than a mistake, he deliberately fudged his name on the papers because Ulysses sounded much cooler to him than Hiram, and [[SignificantMonogram U.S. Grant was pretty slick too]].
284	* Hollywood producer David O. Selznick's middle initial stood for "nothing" (i.e., 0).
285	** Which becomes an injoke in Creator/AlfredHitchcock's ''Film/NorthByNorthwest''; protagonist Roger O. Thornhill similarly added his own middle initial -- and notes that his initials as a whole, as printed on his personalized matchboxes, are quite appropriate for an advertising executive like himself.
286	* UsefulNotes/JeffersonDavis would often write his name as "Jefferson F. Davis" but what the "F" stood for has been lost to history.
287	* [[UsefulNotes/HarryTruman Harry S. Truman]]'s middle initial "S" was his entire middle name. Both his grandfathers' names started with S and his parents didn't want to choose one over the other. Truman joked that one could write his middle initial without a prior, though Truman himself did write the initial with a period, however.
288	* David X. Cohen, producer of ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''. The X literally doesn't stand for anything. His real middle initial is S, but WGA and DGA rules required him to differentiate himself from another David S. Cohen -- he decided to go with something 'sci-fi-ish'.
289	* Creator/RussellTDavies also added a meaningless middle initial to his name to distinguish him from another Russell Davies. Even more confusingly, his actual middle name is ... Russell; his first name is Stephen. (The same goes for the other Russell Davies, whose first name is Robert.)
290	* [[Creator/ChiakiKonaka Chiaki J. Konaka]], creator and executive producer of ''Anime/SerialExperimentsLain'', ''Anime/DigimonTamers'', and ''Anime/{{Texhnolyze}}'' (among other anime series), inserts a J into his name whenever it's romanized, despite the fact that Japanese names don't have middle names. Just like the above cases, the J is meaningless.
291	* Creator/MichaelJFox. The J stands for Andrew. Also for not making him "Michael, a fox" or "Michael, Eh, Fox?".
292	** There was already an actor named Michael Fox, and SAG rules require that all active members have unique stage names.
293	** He wanted to homage Michael J. Pollard (who was born Michael John ''Pollack'', Jr.) using that letter.
294	* [[UsefulNotes/BarackObama Barack H. Obama]], while everyone knows what the h stands for, [[labelnote: Note]] Hussein [[/labelnote]] the official White House website [[http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/president_obama/ breaks format]] (compared to the other bios) and does not mention it.
295	* ''Webcomic/{{Newshounds}}'' creator Thomas K. Dye, who even signs his panels as "[=TKDye=]".
296	* Creator/IainBanks wrote his science fiction novels, including the [[Literature/TheCulture Culture]] series, under the name "Iain M. Banks". The M is taken in part from Menzies being a family name, but like many other real-life examples, it's essentially a made-up middle initial.
297	* Creator/JKRowling used initials to [[MoustacheDePlume disguise the fact she is a woman]], in order to be taken more seriously. The K doesn't stand for anything -- legally, anyway. It was suggested by her publisher, as a way to get more boys to read her book. It comes from her grandmother's name Kathleen.
298	* Legendary musician Booker T. Jones, of Booker T and the [=MGs=]. He was named for Booker T. Washington, but in Jones' case (unlike Washington's) the T doesn't stand for anything.
299	* The journalist Jennifer 8. Lee. According to Website/TheOtherWiki, "Lee was not given a middle name at birth and so she chose '8.' when she was a teenager." As for that specific number, it symbolizes prosperity and good luck in Chinese culture; Lee is the New York City-born daughter of Taiwanese immigrants.
300	* Vanessa L. Williams (the L stands for Lynn) was once known just as Vanessa Williams until someone else registered the name with the SAG before she could... so she wound up being known with the initial as well.
301	* Creator/JohnCReilly, once again due to SAG regulations. (It stands for Christopher.)
302	* [[Music/LilWayne Weezy F. Baby]] and the F is for....[[http://rapgenius.com/posts/The-many-nicknames-of-lil-wayne all these things.]]
303	* The creator of ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'' has two mysterious initials - J. G. Quintel. Fans have not yet managed to find out what either of them stand for, but they stand for James Garland.
304	* An almost painfully frequent practice when referring to the General Authorities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is to give one initial, one name, and the surname.
305	** This is due to the large families Mormons typically have. The abundance of people who share similar names requires clarification. For example, three past presidents of the church were named Joseph Smith, Joseph F. Smith, and Joseph Fielding Smith.
306	* ''Watergate'' figure Jeb Stuart Magruder, apparently named for ''UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar'' general James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart.
307	* Robert Q Lewis
308	* W.C. Fields (William Claude; however, his last name was actually "Dukenfeld.")
309	* It was once said about British politician [[UsefulNotes/HerbertHenryAsquith H.H. Asquith]] that despite his position as Prime Minister everyone knew his name but not what the Hs stood for. (They stand for Herbert and Henry respectively.)
310	* Johnny Cash was christened J. R. Cash, where the R didn't stand for anything. His parents simply could not settle on a full middle name. Cash was universally known as J.R. from infancy until he enlisted in the Air Force and wasn't permitted to use an initial as his first name, and so had to change his legal name to John.
311	** Some people speculated the "R" was for "Robert", but Cash insisted it was just a letter.
312	* Calum P Cameron, author of the Literature/MediochreQSethSeries (Which, despite its name, is not an example - the titular character is Dr Mediochre Quirinius Seth). The P "can stand for whatever you want it to" as far as he's concerned.
313	* Harry "A" Chesler, Jr., a comics publisher who was most active during the 1930s and '40s. To quote David Hajdu's ''Ten Cent Plague'':
314	--> [Chesler] applied the "Jr." to his name or dispensed with it as he saw fit, and put quotation marks around the initial because he thought they were stylistically correct, and he was right about that. When he was asked what the "A" stood for, he said, "Anything;" indiscrimination was his middle name.
315	* Animator and cartoonist Thornton Hee was always credited as "T. Hee"
316	* The Full name of Benoit Mandelbrot, the discoverer of fractals, is sometimes given as Benoit B. Mandelbrot. The B stands for "[[RecursiveAcronym Benoit B. Mandelbrot]]".
317	* Music/KTTunstall's middle name is ... Victoria. "KT" is partly a funny spelling of "Katie" and partly a reference to the K-T Extinction Event.
318	* Marsha P. Johnson, a prominent LGBT+ activist and self-identified drag queen. Whenever she was asked about the 'P', she would simply respond with "'''P'''ay it no mind."
319	* T.G. Sheppard, a popular CountryMusic star in TheSeventies and TheEighties, is the StageName for Bill Browder, which he adopted because he was working as a label rep for Creator/RCARecords when he signed his first recording contract with a different label, and didn't want RCA to know. Over the years, he joked that he chose the initials to represent "The Good Sheppard" or "The German Sheppard", but eventually he admitted that they don't mean anything and he just chose them randomly.
320	* F.A. Dry, head football coach at the University of Tulsa (1972-76) and Texas Christian University (1977-82). Website/{{Wikipedia}} doesn't list a full name for him, nor does a Website/{{Google}} search help. He may well have just had initials instead of a given name. He's listed in the 1940 census as F.A. Dry. His father was named Floyd A. Dry, for what it's worth.
321	* J.D. Tippit, a police officer who was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald shortly after the assassination of UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy. Similar to Johnny Cash, Tippit occasionally had to fill out forms with the name John, but the latter never used it as a legal name.
322	* Leon F. Czolgosz, who assassinated UsefulNotes/WilliamMcKinley, didn't have a middle name and chose F as a middle initial just because he liked it.
323	[[/folder]]

Context Main / MysteriousMiddleInitial