History OnlyKnownByTheirNickname / LiveActionTV

%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order.

** None of them are ever called by their full, real names - all three names appear briefly on screen in each character's introductory scene in the pilot, but have never even been spoken aloud on the show, an impressive feat of taking this trope to its logical conclusion.
** Most viewers probably forget that the latter two are nicknames, to the point that in season 4 when Michael finds a note from "George" his mother [[AsYouKnow reminds him (and therefore the audience)]] that this is Gob's real name.

** Callandra "Cally" Henderson Tyrol's full name is only revealed [[spoiler: during her funeral service]] in season four.

** Cory. Apart from his parents, nobody - not even his wife - knows his real name is Cornelius.

* ''Series/{{CSI}}'': D.B. Russell - for obvious reasons, no one calls him Diebenkorn. Except maybe Finn, to tease him once in a while.

* Turtle on ''Series/{{Entourage}}''. His first name (Sal) was not revealed until season five.

* ''Series/{{JAG}}'': Up until the season 4 episode "War Stories," none of the other main characters knew that the full name of their boss, Rear Admiral A.J. Chegwidden, is Albert Jethro.

* Benjamin 'Hawkeye' Pierce, Walter '[[HypercompetentSidekick Radar]]' O'Reilly and 'Trapper' John [=MacIntyre=] from ''Series/{{Mash}}''. Averted with BJ - everyone assumes it's a nickname at first, but he apparently is really named BJ, after his parents Bea and Jay. Maybe. Hawkeye refuses to accept that explanation and demands to know what it really stands for. Instead of standing by his answer, BJ gives the same enigmatic reply from earlier, "Anything you like."

** Possibly Tix as well - as we don't know if this is her real name or a nickname.
* The titular character of ''Series/TheMandalorian'' is only referred to as "Mando" (short for "Mandalorian") by most characters. His real name, [[spoiler:Din Djarin]], is only used sparingly and is first spoken in the final episode of season one.

* ''Series/NedsDeclassifiedSchoolSurvivalGuide'' has Coconut Head, Backpack Boy, and Crony, who never have real names given. Billy Loomer and Lisa Zemo are usually referred to by their last names (though that changes for Lisa in the 3rd season). Tracey and Stacey are referred to simply as the Oboe Twins (they both play the oboe), until they get their ADayInTheLimelight episode. And of course, there's Moze (Jennifer Mosely) and Cookie (Simon Nelson Cook).

** A milder case for fan-beloved [[SixthRanger Tommy Oliver]] who is almost always referred to solely as Tommy. In Series/PowerRangersDinoThunder we learn that his full name is Thomas- but it happens that in that series he receives ''another'' nickname, Dr. O.

* Following Navy tradition, most of the characters on ''Series/SeaPatrol'' are referred to by their nicknames - Bomber, Spider, Swain. Some of these make sense in context; RO is the Radio Operator, for example. Some, not so much.

* In the Series/BBCHistoricalFarmSeries ''Tales from the Green Valley'', archaeologist and presenter Peter Ginn is called by his real name in the first episode. After that, everyone - including the narrator - refers to him as "Fonz" or "Fonzy,
* In the ''Series/TeenWolf'' series, Stiles' real first name is initially unknown, and allegedly very hard to pronounce. "Stiles" is derived from his last name, Stilinski. As of season 6, it's revealed to be [[spoiler: Mieczysław]]. Poor guy.

* ''Series/WhiteCollar'' has Neal's partner in crime, "Mozzie." It's not until season five that we learn his real name: [[spoiler:Teddy Winters.]]

* The titular character of ''Series/TheMandalorian'' is only referred to as "Mando" (short for Mandalorian") by most characters. His real name, [[spoiler:Din Djarin]], is only used sparingly and is first spoken in the final episode of season one.

* ''Series/Supergirl2015'': Maggie Sawyer's full first name is Margarita, though no one ever calls her that.

** In the SeriesFinale, [[spoiler:a recently-divorced Barney decides to have a "Perfect Month," in which he'll hook up with a different girl every day for a month. RealityEnsues and he knocks one of them up, specifically Number Thirty-One. This is the only thing Barney ever calls her, prompting Tracy to snark, "That's a pretty name. What is that, French?" A flashforward to everyone anxiously waiting on his daughter's birth reveals he ''still'' has not told the gang this woman's name, so they all keep calling her Number Thirty-One.]]

* ''Series/SWAT2017'': Chris. She's rarely called Christina, and always introduces herself as Chris.

* In the Series/BBCHistoricalFarmSeries ''Tales from the Green Valley'', archaeologist and presenter Peter Ginn is called by his real name in the first episode. After that, everyone - including the narrator - refers to him as "Fonz" or "Fonzy,"

** In the SeriesFinale, [[spoiler:a recently-divorced Barney decides to have a "Perfect Month," in which he'll hook up with a different girl every day for a week. RealityEnsues and he knocks one of them up, specifically Number Thirty-One. This is the only thing Barney ever calls her, prompting Tracy to snark, "That's a pretty name. What is that, French?" A flashforward to everyone anxiously waiting on his daughter's birth reveals he ''still'' has not told the gang this woman's name, so they all keep calling her Number Thirty-One.]]
-->'''Lily:''' [[LampshadeHanging We're gonna need a name eventually!]]

* ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' has Ducky. He occasionally goes by Dr. Mallard or Doctor by those who don't know him (or by Palmer, out of respect) but for the most part it's simply Ducky. That's because his full name is Dr. ''[[DonaldDuck Donald]]'' Mallard, by the way. The Mallard is also a species of wild duck.

** The Greek, a crime boss on ''Series/TheWire'', whose real name is never revealed. And he's not even Greek.

* Charlotte "Charlie" Duncan from ''Series/GoodLuckCharlie''. Also her brother [[EmbarrassingFirstName Potty John "PJ" Duncan]].

* In ''Series/KimsConvenience'', Jung's friend is only known by the name Kimchee which is almost positively a nickname. All that's known is his surname, thanks to his mother being mentioned in-series as Mrs. Han; otherwise, everyone from his boss/work colleagues to his elders call him by that name.

* Coach in ''Series/{{Cheers}}''. Somewhat parodied when Coach answers the phone, and when the person on the other end asks for Ernie Pantusso, he asks where that person is. Sam Malone says "That's you, Coach," at which point Coach gets back on the phone and says "Speaking!" While he got his nickname for the obvious reason (he was Sam's coach during his baseball days), he always believed he got it because he always traveled cheap.

** Eleven was born [[spoiler:"Jane Ives"]] but was unaware of this until Season 2 when she was thirteen due to spending most of her life as a lab rat, by Season 3 she has a legal name in [[spoiler:"Jane Hopper"]] yet everyone including the girl in question act as though her name is still "Eleven" mostly sticking with "El," a nickname Mike gave her in Season 1.