History Main / SpecialPersonNormalName

* It's an unfortunate effect of translation that ''Anime/MonsterRancher'' has a BigBad whose name sounds to western ears like, well, [[EverythingsBetterWithCows Moo.]] The theme song even identifies him as "the evil Moo".

* ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub'' has Monika. The rest of the girls have Japanese names to suit the {{Animesque}} style, but Monika is a common name in real life. [[spoiler:She turns out to be the villain of the story; the one that killed (or "deleted") the other girls so she could have the player for herself.]]

* ''Manga/{{Akira}}'' is a perfectly ordinary name in Japanese. However it means "lightbringer", as in "Lucifer". Like Lucifer, Akira was created to be all-powerful but revolted against its creator.

* ''Manga/{{Akira}}'' is a perfectly ordinary name in Japanese. However it means "lightbringer", as in "Lucifer".

This trope is the middle ground between AwesomeMcCoolName and UnfortunateNames. Compare with AerithAndBob, when characters with completely made up names appear side by side with others that have completely mundane names. Might overlap with MrSmith if the name has been selected deliberately. See also FluffyTheTerrible, TomTheDarkLord, SesquipedalianSmith, SomeCallMeTim, and OddNameOut.

** Big Boss/Naked Snake's and Ocelot's real names, revealed during ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'', are also rather plain: John and Adam -- or rather, Ocelot's real name is "Adamska", a [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign Hollywood-Russian form of "Adam"]] (it makes certain sense, since Ocelot is Russian-born and the game is essentially a UsefulNotes/ColdWar spy film parody that takes everything it does seriously). In fact, Ocelot asks Naked Snake what his name is and then gives his own; when the latter answers simply, "John," Ocelot replies, "Plain name, but I won't forget it."

* The names of some celebrities from non-Anglophone countries can come across this way when you know the literal translations of their names, like hunky acting great [[Creator/AntonioBanderas Anthony Flags]], AmazonianBeauty actress[=/=]model [[Creator/GalGadot Wave Riverbanks]], suave Parisian crooner [[Creator/MauriceChevalier Morris Knight]] and silky-voiced song stylist [[Music/EnriqueIglesias Henry Churches]], the son of legendary singer Julius Churches (or maybe it's July Churches).[[note]]Even better is the full name of Julio Iglesias--Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva, "Julius Joseph Churches of the Cave"[[/note]]

* The names of some celebrities from non-Anglophone countries can come across this way when you know what the literal translations of their names are, like hunky acting great [[Creator/AntonioBanderas Anthony Flags]] and silky-voiced crooner [[Music/EnriqueIglesias Henry Churches]], the son of legendary singer Julius Churches (or maybe it's July Churches).[[note]]Even better is the full name of Julio Iglesias--Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva, "Julius Joseph Churches of the Cave"[[/note]]

* Subnautica Below Zero, expressed by Robin in-game when she meets one of the ancient Precursor Architects.

* Played with in ''VideoGame/TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland''. One of the barber pirates introduces himself as just "Bill". When Guybrush comments that this doesn't sound very piratey, Bill reveals he's ''cleaning blood off a straight razor'' as he adds [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast "Cutthroat Bill"]].

* The Grim Reaper of ''VideoGame/RuneScape'' is actually named Harold, though he usually goes by Death these days.

'''ComicBook/{{Jubilee}}:''' ''[off-panel]'' Don't tell me, she finally got herself a real code-name?\\

* VideoGame/TheLegendOfDragoon's main antagonist is a Wingly (aka an Angel) named Lloyd.

* In the ''Franchise/StarWars''[=/=]''Franchise/MassEffect''[[spoiler:[=/=]''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}''[=/=]''Franchise/{{Halo}}'']] crossover ''[[FanFic/SovereignGFCOrigins Origins]]'', the villain (for [[HeelFaceTurn some of the story]] anyway) is a super-powered Siren. Other Sirens are named from [[VideoGame/{{Borderlands}} canon]]: Maya, Lilith, Angel. Her name is...Sarah. She doesn't take this well when her underlings laugh at the SpecialPersonNormalName, though later on it's revealed that "Sarah" is simply the closest convenient translation of [[spoiler:Eridian]] language for her given title, the [[spoiler:"Selfless Servant of the Mantle"]].

* ''VideoGame/Xenosaga'': The true names of the [[spoiler: Four Testaments]] are Luis Virgil, Erich Weber, Dmitri Yuriev [[spoiler: (the name of the man Albedo was cloned from)]] and Kevin Winnicot. All four are realistic, albeit of different nationalities.

** Other major [=Spartan-IIs=] include Fred, Linda, Kelly, William, James, Sam, and Kurt. As a whole, huamnity's greatest soldiers and defenders have utterly mundane names.