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| 4 | %% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks! |
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| 8 | %% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1333805575046662500 |
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| 11 | [[quoteright:300:[[Manga/DeathNote https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_death-note-89715_6157.jpg]]]] |
| 12 | [[caption-width-right:300:No, really. [[RealNameAsAnAlias That's his name.]]]] |
| 13 | |
| 14 | ->''"You may want to add a few more vowels into your name there, ''Z''."'' |
| 15 | -->-- '''Sebastian Stark''', ''Series/{{Shark}}'' |
| 16 | |
| 17 | When you take OnlyOneName to the extreme, this is the result. Most often a CodeName. |
| 18 | |
| 19 | For some reason letters from the second half of the alphabet are much more likely to be chosen. Even people who change their names to something starting with A to get to the top of an alphabetical list seem to never use just A. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | A fair number of older novels (from, say, the 19th and early 20th centuries) use this as a form of "discretion shot". (See SpellMyNameWithABlank.) For example, a lot of Sherlock Holmes stories refer to "Mr. B----" as a way to imply that this is a real person and the story really happened in the real world, but that due to the potentially embarrassing nature of the events, Watson is too much of a gentleman to reveal Mr. B's true identity. |
| 22 | |
| 23 | Compare YouAreNumberSix, when the name is a number. Contrast OverlyLongName. For works titled this way, see OneLetterTitle. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | ---- |
| 26 | !!Examples: |
| 27 | |
| 28 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 29 | |
| 30 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 31 | * J from ''Manga/BoboboboBobobo.'' You know, the one with the garlic/onion (the heroes can never decide this) for a head? |
| 32 | * ''Manga/BungoStrayDogs'' has a character that ''technically'' has a full name, but is only ever referred to as Q by the other characters. |
| 33 | * ''Anime/CControl'' (itself a OneLetterTitle) has an [[{{Mons}} Asset]] going by the name Q. Also, [[spoiler:a chain reaction that impacts the global economy when a Financial District goes bankrupt]] is simply known as [[TitleDrop C]]. |
| 34 | * L from ''Manga/DeathNote''. A handful of other characters use one-letter codenames at some point, as well, (most notably [[spoiler:L's successor Near]] first introduces himself as N) but, as [[AllThereInTheManual revealed in the "how to read" book]], [[spoiler:L actually is his first name. The full name being L Lawliet.]] |
| 35 | * Phantom Thief G (Timothy Hearst) from ''Manga/DGrayMan'' |
| 36 | * D from ''Anime/DualParallelTroubleAdventure''. |
| 37 | * The Alphabets, Major Eberbach's subordinates in ''Manga/FromEroicaWithLove'', are each known by one single letter as a codename. The Major always seems to have 28 of them around despite having sent some to Alaska. (Also, the letters are pronounced like German alphabets.) |
| 38 | * Soldat J, from ''Anime/GaoGaiGar''. |
| 39 | * ''Manga/{{Gravitation}}'''s K. (Although his actual name is revealed later.) |
| 40 | * J from ''Anime/HeatGuyJ''. |
| 41 | * A serial killer in ''Manga/HellTeacherNube'' that patterns himself after Aka Manto (Red Mantle) is simply referred to by authorities as "A". It's clear this is an attributed alias, but we never learn his real name. |
| 42 | * Y in ''Literature/HumanityHasDeclined''. Assuming that's her actual name, seeing as [[NamelessNarrative no one else has one...]] |
| 43 | * ''Manga/IWish'' has the male protagonist called K. It's stated early on that he goes by K, because his real name is cursed. |
| 44 | * IdolSinger [[ThemeTwinNaming twins]] L and R Nomura in ''Anime/MarginalNumber4''. |
| 45 | * X from ''Manga/MajinTanteiNougamiNeuro''. |
| 46 | * ''Anime/MazingerZ'' universe: {{Fanon}} often refers to the eponymous HumongousMecha as simply "Z". |
| 47 | * ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'': The Gundam Engineers Doctor J, Professor G, Doktor S, Instructor H, and Master O. The sequel novel ''Frozen Teardrop'' has Trowa and Quatre taking similar aliases Doktor T and Instructor W, as well as revealing Doctor J's real name: [[spoiler:Jay Nul]] |
| 48 | * In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', a lot of people from the Village Hidden in the Clouds: The Raikage is "A", his brother is "B" (though [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname everyone called him "Killer Bee"]]), he has an aide named "C" and they sent a shinobi after Sasuke, who was called "J", and an incidental character was named "F". In this case, these are code-names/ranks (that may have fully replaced the characters' original names which are never revealed). For example, B is given the name after being chosen as the combat partner for A when he was promoted to head of the village and its armed forces (implying the Raikage is always called "A" and paired with an assistant/bodyguard called "B"). |
| 49 | * Z, the BigBad from the [[AntagonistTitle eponymous]] ''Manga/OnePiece'' movie; ''Anime/OnePieceFilmZ''. |
| 50 | * Count D and his relatives in ''Manga/PetShopOfHorrors''. |
| 51 | * ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': |
| 52 | ** In ''Anime/PokemonTheSeriesDiamondAndPearl'', a villain known as Pokemon Hunter J and a one-shot filler character known as O were introduced. %% N from Black/White goes in the game section. %% |
| 53 | ** In ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'', the protagonists of each arc are named after their generation's games. So the protagonists for the XY arc are named... X and Y. Granted, when romanized their names become Ekkusu and Wai, [[AerithAndBob but it still doesn't make their names any less weird.]] Averted with Y in the Viz version, as her actual name is [[DubNameChange Yvonne]] but has 'Y' as her nickname, and in another translation "X" is short for "Xavier". |
| 54 | * D, the alien spy from ''Anime/ProjectAKo''. It is, however, a code name. |
| 55 | ** Keep in mind, however, that in Japanese the main characters are named Girl A, Girl B, and Girl C. |
| 56 | * K in ''Anime/PuniPuniPoemi''. |
| 57 | * G, the BigBad of ''Manga/RealBoutHighSchool'', who honestly doesn't remember his name after the years of psychological and physical conditioning he was subjected to since he was a boy in order to become the perfect bodyguard. As far as he's concerned, it's a placeholder; He'll find out what his name is if it's the last thing he does. [[ShoutOut Like many characters in the series]], G is a CaptainErsatz of a ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters King of Fighters]]'' character; in his case, K' (see below). |
| 58 | * G., the first Vongola Storm Guardian from ''Manga/Reborn2004''. |
| 59 | * L-sama from ''Literature/{{Slayers}}'' novel afterwords. Though this is an abbreviation of L.O.N. or Lord of Nightmares. |
| 60 | * D, the most evil god of ''Literature/SoImASpiderSoWhat''. It's not actually her name, which nobody knows, just an alias she chose to make conversations less tedious than being nameless. Odds are good it's the initial of her actual name, D[[spoiler:death]]. |
| 61 | * F is the name the Jedi protagonist of 'The Village Bride", an episode of ''Anime/StarWarsVisions''. |
| 62 | * ''Manga/SuperwomenInLove'' has X, [[BigBad leader]] of the [[OddlySmallOrganization five-strong]] [[QuirkyMinibossSquad Antinoid Generals]], [[TheAllegedBoss who gets no respect from her subordinates]]. |
| 63 | * Smartotchi/X-Kamen, the ArcVillain from ''Anime/{{Tamagotchi}} Miracle Friends'', has a companion named X. |
| 64 | * The title character of ''Anime/TekkamanBlade'' is nicknamed D-boy. In the OVA, he has taken to signing his name "D", and Yumi simply calls him that. (It's actually "Dangerous", for doing a lot of reckless things early in the series.) |
| 65 | * The main antagonist of the third ''Anime/TenchiMuyo'' OVA goes by Z, remarking that his real name, Z-0001332536893, is too long. |
| 66 | * In ''Anime/ValvraveTheLiberator'', soldiers trained at the Karlstein Institute have their real names taken, and they are replaced by combining this with YouAreNumberSix. So we have L-Elf (Elf meaning 11), and several others. |
| 67 | * The title character of ''Literature/VampireHunterD''. |
| 68 | * ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'': |
| 69 | ** In the English dub, Aster Phoenix's adoptive father is named [[SpellMyNameWithAThe The D]]. In the Japanese version, he was called DD, which is a two-letter name, but comes close. |
| 70 | ** In the Japanese version, the Deck Destruction pro-duelist is named X. In the English dub, he was called Howard X. Miller. |
| 71 | [[/folder]] |
| 72 | |
| 73 | [[folder:Audio Plays]] |
| 74 | * ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'': |
| 75 | ** The I is a sentient number species in the story ''Iterations of I''. |
| 76 | ** H-One, H-Two, and O are clones of River Song in the story ''The Furies''. |
| 77 | * Ixpellia from ''Audioplay/StrikerSSoundStageX'', whose nickname of Ix/Ikusu is transcribed in English as "X" in the CD booklet. |
| 78 | [[/folder]] |
| 79 | |
| 80 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 81 | * Franchise/ActionMan's nemesis [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate Dr. X]] |
| 82 | * Trenchcoat Brigade member Mister E from ''ComicBook/TheBooksOfMagic''. |
| 83 | * S (aka "The Stooge"), the protagonist of Paul Pope's sci-fi graphic novel, ''ComicBook/HeavyLiquid''. |
| 84 | * ''ComicBook/MrA'', Creator/SteveDitko's Objectivist "superhero". |
| 85 | * In ''ComicBook/RedRobin'' Tim meets a League of Assassins member named Z. While he later learns the man's given name was Zeddmore Washington Z only uses that name on faked papers anymore and no longer considers it his name instead considering it something he left behind with the rest of his old life. |
| 86 | * V from ''ComicBook/VForVendetta''. |
| 87 | * The anti-hero protagonist of ''ComicBook/XDarkHorseComics''. |
| 88 | * ''ComicBook/XMen'': |
| 89 | ** Professor X. It's short for Xavier. |
| 90 | ** Then there's X-Man. |
| 91 | ** M (Monet St. Croix) from ''ComicBook/GenerationX'' and ''Comicbook/XFactor''. |
| 92 | [[/folder]] |
| 93 | |
| 94 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 95 | * ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' story ''Fanfic/BlackQueenRedKing'' has Ψ, the artificial drone changeling. Bonus points for being a Greek letter. |
| 96 | * ''Fanfic/DJINNWayToHome'': While more of phonetic nickname than just being a single letter, Dee and Will's sister Bee ("Beatrice") prefer the shortened version of their names. |
| 97 | * Mr X in ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndThePrinceOfSlytherin''. |
| 98 | * ''Fanfic/HellsisterTrilogy'': ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} and her self-named alternate universe counterpart ComicBook/PowerGirl call each other "K", (short for "Kara"). |
| 99 | * Exaggerated in ''Fanfic/HopeOnADistantMountain''. One chapter ends with an email exchange between two unidentified people, the second of whom has just a full stop (.) for an email ID, whereas almost ever other time the characters' names are used. |
| 100 | * The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfic ''Fanfic/JerichoMLP'' has C, a villain. |
| 101 | * The BigBad of ''Fanfic/{{Pokeumans}}'', Mr. X. |
| 102 | * ''Fanfic/AGameOfCatAndCat'': "(In)Effective Communication": When Soma talks about "the amnesiac with a single-letter name" meaning Julius Belmont from ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaAriaOfSorrow'', who refers to himself as J until he recovers from his IdentityAmnesia. |
| 103 | [[/folder]] |
| 104 | |
| 105 | [[folder:Films -- Animation]] |
| 106 | * Woody Allen's character Z in ''WesternAnimation/{{Antz}}'' (short for Z-4195). |
| 107 | * Professor Z, TheDragon of ''WesternAnimation/Cars2''. (short for Zündapp) |
| 108 | * Jeff Bridges's character Big Z (Zeke Topanga) in ''WesternAnimation/SurfsUp''. |
| 109 | * In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', Mei's teacher, Mr. Kieslowski is referred to as Mr. K. |
| 110 | [[/folder]] |
| 111 | |
| 112 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 113 | * Quincy Johnson uses the username Q in the {{Creator/Nickelodeon}} film ''Film/BestPlayer'' |
| 114 | * Officer K, short for the designation [=KD6-3.7=] and later known as Joe, from ''Film/BladeRunner2049''. |
| 115 | * In ''Film/{{Envy}}'', Creator/ChristopherWalken's hobo character calls himself "the J-Man." |
| 116 | * ''Film/FaustLoveOfTheDamned'': The main bad guy is known only as "M", though it's presumably short for [[LouisCyphre Mephistopheles]]. |
| 117 | * X is one of the men going to the Million Man March in ''Film/GetOnTheBus''. Flip doesn't believe it's his real name, and it isn't -- it's short for Xavier, but he's always preferred "X". |
| 118 | * X, leader of the alien invaders in ''Film/GodzillaFinalWars''. He says it's just a nickname for the humans to call him because his real name is [[TheUnpronounceable too hard for humans to say]]. |
| 119 | * The concierge of ''Film/TheGrandBudapestHotel'' is Monsieur Gustave H. His last name is never given in the film, but considering that he is referred to as such in a legal will, that just might be his real last name. |
| 120 | * G, of the movie ''Film/HolyMan'' (played by Creator/EddieMurphy) -- the titular character, in this case. |
| 121 | * The ''Film/JamesBond'' films famously have several of these. |
| 122 | ** Bond's boss M, based on the RealLife head of [=MI6=], who goes by the codename "C". It's mentioned in ''Film/CasinoRoyale2006'' that M is not just a random letter (whether it references a name -- the novels have the original [[AlliterativeName Miles Messervy]] and Barbara Mawdsley, a prop in ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'' has the name [[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2319598/Mystery-surrounding-James-Bond-mentor-Ms-real-revealed-007-fan-discovers-character-played-Judi-Dench-called-Olivia-Mansfield.html Olivia Mansfield]] -- is unclear): |
| 123 | --->'''Bond:''' I had no idea it stood for--\ |
| 124 | '''M:''' Utter one more syllable and I'll have you killed. |
| 125 | ** Gadgeteer Q ("Q" being short for "Quartermaster"/"Quartermaster's department", referencing his job to supply agents). |
| 126 | ** Q's assistant, dubbed as R ("reserve"), before he gets promoted to Q. Bond lampshades this in ''Film/TheWorldIsNotEnough'', but with a different line of thought: |
| 127 | ---> "If you're Q... Does that make him R?" |
| 128 | ** ''Film/{{Spectre}}'' has Max Denbigh, who Bond nicknames "C" for [[CountryMatters malicious reasons]], as he wants to shut down [=MI6=], and it catches on in the agency. And given he's working for the bad guys, it culminates in a discussion of going by one letter: |
| 129 | --->'''C''': But then isn't that what 'M' stands for... 'moron'?\ |
| 130 | ''[squeezes trigger, [[ItWorksBetterWithBullets realizes the gun is unloaded]]]''\ |
| 131 | '''M''': And now we know what 'C' stands for... 'careless'. |
| 132 | * The film ''Film/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'' has M, who is the one who gathers the League and gives them their task. Of course, it turns out that M stands for [[spoiler:[[Literature/SherlockHolmes Moriarty]]]]. |
| 133 | * F, the voiceless vampire girl in ''Film/{{Marebito}}''. |
| 134 | * ''Film/MenInBlack'' agents, including Agents J, K, L, and Zed[[note]](i.e., "Z" in any English-speaking country except the U.S., and French-speaking countries as well)[[/note]], along with almost everyone else with the organization. The third movie adds an "AA", but it's only in a BadFuture anyway. Interestingly, the names appear to be based on the first letter of the first name (James, Kevin, Laura, [[Music/MichaelJackson Michael]]). This begs the question -- are there only 26 agents in the MIB? What happens when two agents have their first names start on the same letter? |
| 135 | * Willem Dafoe's character in ''Film/NewRoseHotel'' is known only as X. |
| 136 | * ''Film/VForVendetta'': "Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition! The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honour to meet you and you may call me V." |
| 137 | * ''Film/WarmBodies'' (based on a book) features a protagonist zombie who's forgotten his name and simply goes by R. |
| 138 | * Z (pronounced Zed) from (and short for) ''Film/{{Zardoz}}''. |
| 139 | [[/folder]] |
| 140 | |
| 141 | [[folder:Jokes]] |
| 142 | * ''Via Reader's Digest, 1958'': |
| 143 | -->My friend R.B. Jones doesn't have a first or middle name — only the initials R.B. This unusual arrangement was never a problem until he went to work for a government agency. The government is not accustomed to initialed employees, so R.B. had a lot of explaining to do. On the official forms for the payroll and personnel departments, his name was carefully entered as R (Only) B (Only) Jones.\ |
| 144 | Sure enough, when R.B. got his pay check, it was made out to Ronly Bonly Jones.\ |
| 145 | [[/folder]] |
| 146 | |
| 147 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 148 | * In ''Literature/AnnoDracula 1999: Daikaiju'', vampire swordswoman schoolgirl Nezumi was named "S" by her first master, after a deadly ZorroMark he trained her to use as her signature move. After his death she abandoned both the name and the ridiculous showy attack. |
| 149 | * In ''Literature/TheBourneSeries'', Jason Bourne went by the military-alphabet name Delta when he was in the Medusa program in Vietnam. |
| 150 | * OlderThanTelevision: The protagonist of ''Literature/TheCastle'' by Creator/FranzKafka is known only as K. |
| 151 | * John Hackworth's nemesis Dr. X in ''Literature/TheDiamondAge''. (A slight subversion in that his actual name is quite long, but it is very hard to pronounce, so everyone just calls him Dr. X. Interestingly, his ''Chinese'' name is written with only one character as well.) |
| 152 | * Mr A.E. Pessimal in the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novels is an ObstructiveBureaucrat (later a BadassBureaucrat) who wasn't named, just initialled. At one point Vimes asks him what his friends call him, and Mr Pessimal gives him a look that suggests the question contains [[FriendlessBackground an enormous assumption]]. |
| 153 | * The I are an insectoid species in ''Seeing I'', a novel in the ''Literature/EighthDoctorAdventures'' series of ''Series/DoctorWho'' novels. |
| 154 | * Creator/EEDocSmith and Stephen Goldin's ''Family D'Alembert'' series has two major villains: Lady A, and someone (or something) called C. However, there is no B in the hierarchy (nor D through Z for that matter) and C is actually the boss. Why this is so is only revealed when it's almost too late to save the situation. |
| 155 | * General G in the novel ''Literature/FromRussiaWithLove''. Probably at least partly because of his [[OverlyLongName long freakin' name]], Grubozaboyschikov. |
| 156 | * In ''Literature/GravityFallsJournal3,'' the Author only refers to his friend/lab assistant as "F." Of course, those who have watched [[WesternAnimation/GravityFalls the show]] already know that it's short for F[[spoiler:iddleford [=McGucket=]]]. |
| 157 | * Members of the Audubon Ballroom in ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' use X as a surname, though most have a different legal name. |
| 158 | ** As an extension of this, freed slave and noted academic Web Du Havel's full name is W. E. B. Du Havel. He didn't understand how names work when he needed to provide one for the record, so W. E. B. doesn't actually stand for anything. |
| 159 | * The Aann, a reptilian race from the ''Literature/HumanxCommonwealth'' novels, use a string of capital letters in place of a surname. As they advance in rank within their society, letters are removed from these strings, meaning that the Emperor of their kind has a one-letter surname. |
| 160 | * The protagonist of ''Literature/{{I Am J}}'' is a teenage trans boy whose name is "J". Early in the book, a flashback shows that in sixth grade he gets into a confrontation with a teacher when she kept on calling him "Jenifer", though his soon-to-be friend Melissa stepped in and made an excuse that he couldn't be called "Jenifer" because of an incident in his family that caused the name to bring up negative memories. J tells Blue that his name is short for "Jason", but in the end he decides that his chosen name is literally just "J". |
| 161 | * In Ödön von Horvaths novel ''Jugend ohne Gott'' the narrator only refers to his students by letters, which are implied to be the first letter of their first names. |
| 162 | * In the Japanese novel ''Literature/{{Kokoro}},'' [[TheMentor Sensei]] writes a long testament about his relationship with his dead friend, whom he only refers to as "[[ThePhilosopher K]]." |
| 163 | * The protagonist of the teen novel ''M in the Middle'' is an autistic teenager whose obsession with the letter M has led to her adopting it as her name and refusing to answer to her real name. |
| 164 | * In ''Literature/SputnikSweetheart'', the narrator is only ever known by the letter K. |
| 165 | * J. Eugene Raxford in Donald E. Westlake's ''The Spy in the Ointment'', due to not being given real names by the FBI agents he's forced to deal with, mentally refers to them as Agent A, B, etc. |
| 166 | * As the title probably suggests, the heroine of the erotic classic ''Story of O'' is known only by one letter. (It may be her initial, or her full name; the novel does not specify. Other characters have full names.) |
| 167 | * 6 and @ from Max Berry's book ''Syrup''. [[spoiler:When 6 was born, her parents named her 0 (zero), then on her first birthday, she was renamed 1, up until they were killed when she was, yup, six years old. The name stuck. As for @, well, it's not explained, but 6 says she only did it to copy her.]] |
| 168 | * ''Literature/ToKillAMockingbird'' has a bit character called X Billups. Most people didn't believe that was his full name until he was asked to spell it during a court case. |
| 169 | * The protagonist of Creator/FranzKafka's ''Film/TheTrial'' is named Joseph K. |
| 170 | * In ''Literature/TheTwentyOneBalloons'' by William Pène du Bois, the island of Krakatoa is settled by twenty families, who take on the letters A through T as names (e.g., the man who founded the island is only known as Mr. M, his wife is Mrs. M, and their children are M-1 and M-2). When the protagonist is stranded there, he asks if they would like to start referring to him as Mr. U; they decline, as it would lead to pronoun confusion. No mention is made of how they manage to non-confusingly talk about the I family, though at least I is only a pronoun in the subjective case. |
| 171 | * V from ''Vegan Virgin Valentine''. Her full name is [[AlliterativeName Vivienne Vail Valentine]], so you can see why she shortens it. |
| 172 | * ''Literature/TheVoyageOfTheDawnTreader'': When Eustace writes his diary, he refers to Caspian, Edmund and Lucy as C, E and L. It is not stated why, but it either reflects his condescending attitude towards them, or his generally scientific and factual approach to things. |
| 173 | [[/folder]] |
| 174 | |
| 175 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 176 | * Mister F from ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment''. It turns out to be a subversion. [[spoiler: MRF actually stands for Mentally Retarded Female.]] |
| 177 | * ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'': Baldrick sometimes addresses Blackadder as "Mr B", or "Captain B" in the fourth series, perhaps reflecting Blackadder's long name. |
| 178 | --> '''Baldrick:''' Something wrong, Mr B? |
| 179 | --> '''Blackadder:''' Something's always wrong, Balders. |
| 180 | * Horatio Caine, usually just H, from ''Series/CSIMiami''. |
| 181 | * ''Series/DoctorWho'' has a villain named Omega. |
| 182 | ** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS25E2TheHappinessPatrol "The Happiness Patrol"]], the natives of Terra Alpha all have one-letter surnames denoting social rank. Offworlders have their surname replaced by 'Sigma'. |
| 183 | ** The Doctor himself has been known to sign his name as simply "?". |
| 184 | ** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS38E1E2Spyfall "Spyfall"]], there is the chief of [=MI6=], known as "C" (as in real life), along with another (former) agent known as "O." [[spoiler: O is actually the Doctor's archnemesis, the Master, who chose that name specifically for the OhCrap reaction as the Doctor realizes who he really is.]] |
| 185 | * On ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}'', all the actives in the LA house are apparently assigned a letter, but are referred to as the military phonetic code for said letter (Alpha, Echo, November, Sierra, Whiskey, etc). How they deal with having more than 26 actives is never addressed; quite possibly they just don't ever have that many. |
| 186 | * ''Series/GetSmart'': When Max and the Chief swap roles due to a bureaucratic foulup, the Chief goes back to his old designation of Agent Q (he joined CONTROL before they switched to numbers). |
| 187 | * Mr. K from ''Series/GoOn''. It may or may not be short for something, but given [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} his odd mental state]], it's probably not worth asking. |
| 188 | * Played for laughs in ''[[Series/HermansHead Herman's Head]]''. Jay goes to a Sex Addicts Anonymous meeting and to maintain his confidentiality declares he will introduce himself by the first letter of his name. |
| 189 | * B.J. Hunnicut from ''Series/{{MASH}}''. His given name is apparently 'B.J.', after his parents Bea and Jay. |
| 190 | * ''Series/MisterRogersNeighborhood'' has X the Owl. He was named X because he "X-scaped" from a cage. |
| 191 | * ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' has a figure in the Mouse Problem sketch identified as Mr. A. Although his real name is George Jackson, 32A Milton Avenue, Hounslow, Middlesex. Tel: 01-246-8047. |
| 192 | * G Callen from ''Series/NCISLosAngeles'' (his first name accidentally vanished when he was put into foster care). When they finally track it down, the building explodes before Callen can open the drawer. In season seven, his full name is eventually revealed to be G[[spoiler:risha Aleksandrovich Nikolaev]] Callen. |
| 193 | * Ms. O, the leader of ''Series/OddSquad''. |
| 194 | * Lord Zedd from ''Franchise/PowerRangers''. His {{Mooks}} had this letter on their breastplates. |
| 195 | ** ''Series/PowerRangersSPD'' had a character named Z, short for Elizabeth. |
| 196 | ** ''Series/PowerRangersRPM'' has a character known only as Dr. K, later explained as being because she grew up in a secret government think-tank codenamed "Alphabet Soup". Presumably Dr. A through Dr. J had non-Ranger based areas of expertise. |
| 197 | * A, the main antagonist of ''Series/PrettyLittleLiars''. |
| 198 | * One episode of ''Series/{{Shark}}'' involved a fashion designer named Z Pruitt. He was much ridiculed. |
| 199 | * ''Series/SmartGuy'': When Mo discovers he's adopted, his friends try to help him find his birth mother, armed with only the information that he was put up for adoption under the name "Baby boy X." Only when their search hits a dead end does he [[YouDidntAsk think to mention]] that [[SubvertedTrope "X" is spelled "Ecks"]]. Sure enough, his mother's name is Sheila Ecks. |
| 200 | * Q from ''Franchise/StarTrek''. Since it's used for both the character and the species to which he belongs, things can get confusing when other Qs show up. (Though it's less so in print: the second Q from "Deja Q" is rendered as Q2, and Q's son is q.) An ExpandedUniverse trilogy adds another god-like being named 0. That's right, a One ''Digit'' Name. There's also "*" (that energy cloud from TOS causing humans and Klingons to fight), a One Asterisk Name. |
| 201 | * From the ''Franchise/UltraSeries'', ''Series/UltramanAce'' is sometimes listed as Ultraman '''A'''. There is also ''Series/UltramanX'' and ''Series/UltramanZ'', but no, there isn't an ''Ultraman Y''. (well, as of 2020 anyway) |
| 202 | * Mr. X, Mulder's second MysteriousInformant from ''Series/TheXFiles''. |
| 203 | [[/folder]] |
| 204 | |
| 205 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 206 | * The alternative rock band A, though they were originally called Grand Designs. |
| 207 | * E from the band Music/{{Eels}}, who used to also make solo albums under that name, until he decided it made his music too hard to track down. He has gone by his real name though - his autobiography ''Things The Grandchildren Should Know'' and [[PopStarComposer the soundtrack to the film]] ''Levity'' are both credited to Mark Oliver Everett. He initially started being called E in high school because he just [[OneSteveLimit knew too many other people named Mark]]. |
| 208 | * H from Music/{{Steps}}. Real name: Ian Watkins. The "H" stands for "hyperactive", describing his personality. |
| 209 | * L from Music/{{Infinite}}. |
| 210 | * M, the new-wave band most famous for "Pop Muzik". |
| 211 | * N from Music/{{VIXX}}. |
| 212 | * P, a short-lived band featuring Creator/JohnnyDepp and [[Music/ButtholeSurfers Gibby Haynes]]. |
| 213 | * Music/{{V|Singer}} from Music/{{BTS}}. |
| 214 | * Music/HelloProject former group W. Quite tricky to search for their material, if it wasn't for one of their alternate names, Double You. |
| 215 | * If plurals of a single letter count, short-lived Christian swing/ska band The W's. |
| 216 | * Music/{{X|USBand}} was at the forefront of the Los Angeles punk scene. |
| 217 | * Music/XJapan was known in its early years only as X; they adopted the "Japan" once they broke into the international market, to distinguish from the American band. |
| 218 | * Y is Music/{{AOA}} drummer Youkyung's "angel name"[[note]]To go with the group's angel concept they were given stage-names called "angel names" at debut.[[/note]] but like the other members' angel names it's stopped being used for the most part. |
| 219 | * Y is also the stage name of Choi Sungyoon, a member of Music/{{Infinite}}'s "brother group"[[note]]signed under the same company, Woollim Entertainment[[/note]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Child_(band) Golden Child]], who debuted in August of 2017. |
| 220 | * In Vivian Stanshall's comedy LP ''Sir Henry at Ndidi's Kraal'', the eponymous Sir Henry Rawlinson mounts an expedition to [[DarkestAfrica Africa, the "dark incontinent"]]. He can't remember his native bearers' names, so "to their - ahem - cheery delight, I ''numbered'' the sods. The last twenty-seven I named after the letters of our alphabet. The twenty-seventh - knew you were going to ask me that! - was a question mark. |
| 221 | [[/folder]] |
| 222 | |
| 223 | [[folder:Pro Wrestling]] |
| 224 | * After Kodo Fuyuki stripped Hayabusa of his [[TheGimmick gimmick]] and gave it to Mr. Gannosuke in [[Wrestling/{{FMW}} Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling]], the former Hayabusa became the [[JapaneseDelinquents delinquent]] known as H. |
| 225 | * Reality Of Wrestling champion Q, more commonly known as Mysterious Q. Not for nothing, he wears a Hayabusa style mask before his matches.[[/folder]] |
| 226 | |
| 227 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 228 | * In ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'', there's a Monk archetype which - at high levels - allows the monk to heal and resurrect all their allies in return for being wiped from existence to the extent that their name can't be written down. It has been proposed that one could abuse the one letter name trope to use 26 monks to destroy the alphabet.[[/folder]] |
| 229 | |
| 230 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 231 | * 3 from ''VideoGame/ThreeInThree'' (though she's an anthropomorphisation of the actual ASCII character "3", so this is as much a job description as it is a name). |
| 232 | * ''VideoGame/AlterEgo2018'': Es is alternatively known as "S". |
| 233 | * ''VideoGame/AndroidHunterA'': The PlayerCharacter is an android named A. |
| 234 | * ''VideoGame/ANNOMutationem'': The senior-level staff and facility supervisors of [[NGOSuperpower The Consortium]] all go by single capital letters, i.e. C, G, B, K, and D. |
| 235 | * D in ''VideoGame/AnotherCode: Two Memories'' (a.k.a. ''Trace Memory''). [[spoiler:D turns out to have been a nickname. His real name is Daniel.]] |
| 236 | * V, a celestial in ''VideoGame/AntimatterDimensions''. |
| 237 | * W from ''VideoGame/{{Arknights}}''. [[spoiler:She [[LegacyCharacter inherited her name]] from another person who was ''also'' only known as "W".]] |
| 238 | * Double H from ''VideoGame/BeyondGoodAndEvil'', [[spoiler: though this is just a codename, his real name is Hubb]]. |
| 239 | * G from ''[[VideoGame/BubbleBobble Bust-A-Move 4]]''. He's an old wizard, but he acts like a senile old coot to throw people off. |
| 240 | * Z, late-game mooks with WolverineClaws in ''VideoGame/CaptainCommando''. |
| 241 | * Julius Belmont from ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaAriaOfSorrow'' refers to himself as J until he regains his memory. |
| 242 | * ''VideoGame/CrisisCore'' has a series of sidequests revolving around telepathic messages from {{esper}} called P. |
| 243 | * The second character David meets during the events of ''Videogame/TheCrookedMan'' calls himself D. He refuses to give out his full name. |
| 244 | * D is the default name of the main character in ''VideoGame/CrystalStory II''. |
| 245 | * The protagonist of ''Videogame/Cyberpunk2077'' goes by "V" regardless of gender. [[spoiler:A later mission reveals that it stands for "Vincent" (if male) or "Valerie" (if female) but they only let a select few use that name]]. |
| 246 | * V from ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5''. [[spoiler:Possibly derived from "[[LiteralSplitPersonality Vergil]]".]] |
| 247 | * A from ''[[Franchise/{{Digimon}} Digimon: Digital Card Battle]]''. [[spoiler:It's a pseudonym]]. |
| 248 | * Q, from ''VideoGame/{{Dislyte}} is the host of the [[Myth/ClassicalMyth Greek]] LoveGod Eros and thus possess his powers. Whether or not Q is short for something hasn’t been elaborated on. |
| 249 | * D from ''VideoGame/EldenRing'', a hunter of [[TheUndead Those Who Live In Death]]. He also has a twin brother, who also goes by D. Their full names are D[[spoiler:arian]] and D[[spoiler:evin]], respectively. |
| 250 | * The main playable character of ''VideoGame/EliteBeatAgents'' is known as Agent J. |
| 251 | * ''VideoGame/{{Extrapower}}'': The warrior with the ore heart, V. At least his late sister Victoria is given a full first name. |
| 252 | * Dr. O from the "Old World Blues" DLC for ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas''. [[spoiler: Only not really - while everyone ''calls'' him O, his actual name is [[YouAreNumberSix 0]].]] |
| 253 | * H, an otherwise unremarkable {{mook}} from the video game ''VideoGame/FightingForce''. Also features an Agent X toward the end. |
| 254 | * J from ''VideoGame/FinalFight''. |
| 255 | * The main character from ''VideoGame/FreezeME'' is just called R, and her best friend is a dog named M. No real reason for it is given InUniverse--probably they just sound cool. |
| 256 | * D from ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV''. |
| 257 | ** Also, Michael, Franklin and Trevor often call one another M, F and T, especially during heists where they need to keep their identity hidden. |
| 258 | ** Just like the protagonists, Brad is also called B in the opening mission. |
| 259 | ** Also, Mr. K, which stands for "Kerimov". |
| 260 | * G from ''VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead'', who, despite being the only one with such a unique name, is pretty ordinary for a secret agent. It becomes a RunningGag in ''VideoGame/TheHouseOfTheDeadOverkill'', where G constantly refuses to answer what the letter means whenever people ask him. |
| 261 | * K′ from ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' (the apostrophe-like symbol, pronounced "dash" or "prime", is the mathematical notation for derivatives, [[MeaningfulName a hint of his origin as a genetically altered clone of Kyo Kusanagi]]). |
| 262 | * Mr. X, the BigBad of ''VideoGame/MegaMan6''. [[spoiler: He turns out to be Dr. Wily, to the surprise of no one.]] |
| 263 | * Many of the main characters from the ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' series: |
| 264 | ** The main character, X. Technically a shortening of Mega Man X, [[AllThereInTheManual but no one ever calls him that in series.]] |
| 265 | ** Technically, Zero is a one-number name (0). |
| 266 | ** Sigma (∑) is also one letter name, but with a Greek letter. His name is actually written with the Greek letter, and is the symbol on the health bars of anyone associated with his organization in later games. |
| 267 | ** And [[VideoGame/MegaManZero Omega]] (Ω.) |
| 268 | ** R from ''VideoGame/MegaManXCommandMission''. |
| 269 | ** And Epsilon (E), the game's villain. |
| 270 | ** The Biometals in ''VideoGame/MegaManZX'' are all named "Model [Single Letter]." |
| 271 | *** The letters are derived from the names of the guardian the biometal is based on. So Model P for the ninja [[VideoGame/MegaManZero Phantom]] and Model X for... well... X. |
| 272 | * Mr. X from ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'', a mysterious cyborg ninja that Raiden encounters after defeating Fatman. [[spoiler: It is revealed this was Olga Gurlukovich, who was a double agent for the Patriots among Solidus' ranks.]] |
| 273 | ** [[spoiler: She also serves as the [[DejaVu S3 plan's parallel]] to [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute Gray Fox as the Cyborg Ninja]], who also operated under an alias.]] |
| 274 | * Inverted in the PC game ''VideoGame/{{N}}'': [[IAmNotShazam most people think the main character ninja's name is N]], but actually the ninja is nameless and N represents "the way of the ninja", a system of beliefs to which the ninja subscribes. These details are found on N's "Story" page. |
| 275 | * The villain in ''VideoGame/OminousObjects 4: Lumina Camera'' is known only as Z. |
| 276 | * O is the name of a minor NPC in ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment''. He's not just any old O, but part of the ‘divine alphabet’. He openly voices his disdain for mortals and advices them to stop acting like mindless insects and see the bigger picture. If you ask him how, he'll open his mouth in an o-shape, through which you see the endlessness of the universe (permanent +1 Wisdom). He also has a cameo in ''VideoGame/TormentTidesOfNumenera''. |
| 277 | * N from ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite''. (The Japanese games actually use the English letter as his name, a rarity in a JRPG). It's short for [[spoiler:Natural, as in natural number]], so it makes sense. |
| 278 | * ?, the character of ''neu'' from ''VideoGame/PopnMusic''. There is also a ∑ in a different song. |
| 279 | * ''VideoGame/PsyCard'': One of the playable characters is a girl named "Z". |
| 280 | * The Japanese version of ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyoTetris'' refers to the characters from the Tetris world as T, S, Z, I, J, L, O, and [[spoiler:X]], each named after their respective Tetrimino piece [[spoiler:and Pentamino piece]]. The English dub has only O retain this, while everyone else was given longer, phonetically similar names. |
| 281 | * ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'': |
| 282 | ** The mutant form of William Birkin is officially called "G", but most players simply refer to him by his real name. |
| 283 | ** The Tyrant from the same game was also given the nickname of "Mr. X" in the American version. |
| 284 | * The mysterious QuestGiver issuing orders to defeat the Four Archangels in the ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'' is called M. [[spoiler: To everyone's surprise, it's [[NiceGuy Mastema]], who in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney'' had been an irredeemable jackass.]] |
| 285 | ** The Mikado Castle shopkeepers all have single-letter names. According to K the tavern-keeper, it's tradition; every time someone takes over a shop, they're given the next letter of the alphabet as a name. K's predecessor was J, and since it loops (A would succeed Z), he wonders how far back it goes. |
| 286 | ** Downplayed with the five [[spoiler:artifical humans]] of ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiII''. Aleph, Beth, Gimmel, Daleth, and Zayin are all Hebrew letters, but use multiple letters when written in Japanese. |
| 287 | * Q from ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII 3rd Strike''. The third season of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'' introduces G, the self-proclaimed President of Earth, who has an alternate costume that makes him look [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute oddly similar]] to Q. |
| 288 | * Mr. X, his children Mr. and Ms. Y, and Robot Y from the ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRage'' games. |
| 289 | * [[PaperThinDisguise Mr. L]] from ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'', a BrainwashedAndCrazy version of Luigi. |
| 290 | * At one point during ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'', you run into a thin-blood named E, who asks you to find out about thin-bloods and rescue his girlfriend and sire, Lily. The Malkavian run lampshades this at one point, referring to him in conversation with Lily as "the letter that comes before F and G". |
| 291 | * ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles'': |
| 292 | ** One of the playable characters of ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX'' is named L. Technically, his full name is L'cirufe, but he prefers to go by just the first part. |
| 293 | ** In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'' the Consuls all only go by a single letter, span most of the alphabet [[spoiler:and taken from the first letter of their given name when they were originally human]]. |
| 294 | ** The ''[[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3FutureRedeemed Future Redeemed]]'' DLC campaign introduces A: a mysterious ally of the main protagonist Matthew. [[spoiler:They are actually [[LiteralSplitPersonality a half of]] [[BigGood Alvis]] from the first game, [[FaceHeelTurn who turned genocidal]] following the ends of both [[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1 1]] and [[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2 2]] and became Alpha.]] |
| 295 | * ''VisualNovel/ZeroEscape'': |
| 296 | ** Late in ''VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors'' [[spoiler: the narrator]] introduces herself as "I am I, the ninth letter of the alphabet". |
| 297 | ** K from VisualNovel/VirtuesLastReward. Technically Phi and Sigma too, although their names are spelled out in English. [[spoiler:[[MeaningfulName K is a placeholder variable in math]], hinting at his switch with Akane in the true timeline and Sigma's name references his ability to remember memories from multiple timelines.]] |
| 298 | ** Q from ''VisualNovel/ZeroTimeDilemma''. After some reveals both in and out of universe, his real name turns out to be [[spoiler:Delta, a Greek letter in the same fashion as Sigma and Phi above]]. |
| 299 | * Doctor Y is an alien from the video game ''[[VideoGame/{{Richman}} Richman 11]]''. He is a smart alien who likes science, and possesses the ability to make his opponents lose money when he loses his, owning more cards than his opponents, as well as taking his bankrupt opponents' cards and properties. |
| 300 | [[/folder]] |
| 301 | |
| 302 | [[folder:Web Animation]] |
| 303 | * X from the fourth season of ''WebAnimation/BattleForDreamIsland'' (originating from the 2008 short ''WebAnimation/XFindsOutHisValue''), [[ADogNamedDog who's an]] [[AnthropomorphicTypography x variable]]. |
| 304 | * Coach Z, from ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner''. Didn't start out this way, as his name was spelled "Coach Zee" in the original book of ''Where My Hat Is At?'', presumably to prevent his name from being pronounced "Coach ''Zed''". In answering an email from Canada, Strong Bad reasons that Coach Z would be called "Coach Zed" there and decides to call him that in the future ([[NegativeContinuity Although he doesn't]]). |
| 305 | * The titular {{Killer Robot}}s in ''WebAnimation/MurderDrones'' all follow this theme. The ones shown in the pilot include N, V, and J. |
| 306 | [[/folder]] |
| 307 | |
| 308 | [[folder:Web Comics]] |
| 309 | * In ''Webcomic/BoyfriendOfTheDead'' due to GhostAmnesia N has no idea what his name was while alive. He does have a business card with his face on it, but a combination of being ripped up then taped back together and covered in bloodstains has rendered it illegible, save for the first letter of his name: "N". [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname So that's what they call him]]. |
| 310 | * The vampire that killed Blaine's parents and has been stalking and murdering his family for generations in ''Webcomic/CharbyTheVampirate'' is only known as "N". |
| 311 | * ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' has a minor character named [[OverlyLongName Zami Yahya Ahmad ibn Suliman al-Sinhaji]], who asks to be called "Z". |
| 312 | * ''Webcomic/GrrlPower'' has the Arcdark agent X. According to him, it's supposed to be forgettably generic. |
| 313 | * The ''Webcomic/IrregularWebcomic'' "Espionage" theme (a spoof of ''Film/JamesBond'') has characters named Ñ and Ü. Apparently turnover was so high that they ran out of ordinary letters. |
| 314 | * Elzandra Ayla [[spoiler: Umbria]], AKA Alexandra Underwood of ''Webcomic/AMagicalRoommate'', prefers to be addressed as X. Nobody's sure why. Maybe it has to do with the fact that [[TheQuietOne she rarely says a word with more than three syllables in it, and Alexandra has four.]] |
| 315 | * Attley's pet spider Mrs. F in ''Webcomic/TheSanityCircus''. |
| 316 | * ''Webcomic/TrueVillains'' has O, the God of Vision. The name isn't further acknowledged but is unique among the named gods and mortals. It also parallels O's IconicItem: a CrystalBall made of one of the god's own eyes. |
| 317 | [[/folder]] |
| 318 | |
| 319 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 320 | * The D, a.k.a. Speaker D or D the Superior from ''WebOriginal/TheStarWarGatherings''. |
| 321 | * ''WebVideo/TwitchPlaysPokemon'': |
| 322 | ** Happens frequently, [[RunningGag especially with the letter A]]. |
| 323 | ** One notable character specific to TPP with a different letter is "d", the protagonist of ''WebVideo/TwitchPlaysPokemonX'', also known as "Li'l d". |
| 324 | * ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': Mr. X, of the Brooklyn Sentinels, as said in [[http://whateleyacademy.net/index.php/stories/357-saks-and-violence Saks and Violence]]: |
| 325 | --> The guy working the "Question" look with the blank face mask and the leather trench coat is Mr. X. And Mr. X may have some sort of invulnerability angle, but give him his due, he does a good job of working the "crazy prepared" and "badass trench coat" tropes. |
| 326 | [[/folder]] |
| 327 | |
| 328 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 329 | * Z from ''WesternAnimation/AllGrownUp''. Chas tries asking what it's short for, but he says "It's just Z." |
| 330 | * X, later know as Rampage, from ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars''. |
| 331 | * ''WesternAnimation/DanielTigersNeighborhood'': X the Owl (mentioned in the Live-Action TV folder) has a nephew named O the Owl. [[{{Pun}} X's and O's]]. |
| 332 | * ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'' plays with this, and has a character named "The Letter M". |
| 333 | * Mr. E and Samurai X are characters in ''{{WesternAnimation/Ninjago}}''. |
| 334 | * ''WesternAnimation/MenInBlackTheSeries'' also has Alpha, one of the founding members of MIB and K's mentor, before he went rogue. When he first meets J, he introduces himself as agent A. When J later mentions A to K and Zed, Zed points out that there is no agent A. |
| 335 | * O is also one of the racers in the Oban cycle of ''WesternAnimation/ObanStarRacers'' |
| 336 | * Substitute teacher Mr. E in ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}''. Helps his badass mystique that gets him to cow the rest of the class into doing what he wants (in a good way!)... Except for the resident idealist T.J. (Theodore Jasper, in case you were wondering. He's not an example of this trope, he just uses it as a better-sounding nickname. Can you blame him?) They find common ground in the end anyway. |
| 337 | -->'''T.J.:''' So, can I ask what the E stands for?\ |
| 338 | '''Mr. E:''' No.\ |
| 339 | '''T.J.:''' You are ''so'' cool. |
| 340 | * Ricky Owens, a member of the original Mystery Inc. gang on ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'' went under the name Mr. E. |
| 341 | * "X Agent" from ''WesternAnimation/SheepInTheBigCity''. The trope was parodied in his first appearance: |
| 342 | -->'''General Specific:''' I don't want an "X Agent"! I want a ''current'' agent!\ |
| 343 | '''Private Public:''' The "X" is put in to indicate mysteriousness rather than his job status sir.\ |
| 344 | '''General Specific:''' Well why can't he choose another letter? Like "K"?\ |
| 345 | '''Private Public:''' "K" isn't as mysterious a letter as "X", sir.\ |
| 346 | '''General Specific:''' What about "L"? "L" is pretty mysterious! ''[waving fingers]'' Llllllllllllll... Lllllllll!!!\ |
| 347 | '''Narrator:''' So as General Specific re-acquaints himself with the alphabet... |
| 348 | * In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Homer decides to find out what his middle initial J stands for. It turns out, it stands for Jay. |
| 349 | * X Racer, (named after his uncle's codename), from ''WesternAnimation/SpeedRacerTheNextGeneration''. |
| 350 | * [[TheVoiceless B]] from ''[[WesternAnimation/TotalDrama Total Drama Revenge of the Island]]''. It turns out it's short for [[spoiler:[[GenderBlenderName Beverly]]]]. |
| 351 | * ''N'' the Eliatrope from ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}: Les Gardiens'' and ''VideoGame/{{Dofus}}''. |
| 352 | * ''WesternAnimation/WorkItOutWombats'' has a character named Mr. E. What does 'E' stand for? It's a mystery. |
| 353 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheZetaProject'' has Infiltration Unit Zeta. His companion Ro calls him Zee, and sometimes he uses "Zee Smith" as an alias while pretending to be human. |
| 354 | [[/folder]] |
| 355 | |
| 356 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 357 | * The head of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service (a.k.a. [=MI6=]) is always codenamed "C", in honor of the original head, Mansfield Smith-Cumming. In the same vein, the head of ''[=MI5=]'' is called K, after Vernon Kell. If any British intelligence officers are codenamed "M", that apparently has yet to be declassified. |
| 358 | ** As Creator/AlFranken points out while talking about the Downing Street Memos in ''The Truth (with jokes)'', there are a number of other individuals in British government given single letter codenames. He mentions a meeting involving "C, Z, R, and a group called 'the vowels'." |
| 359 | * In botanical publications, Carl von Linné (aka Carolus Linnaeus, the father of modern botanical nomenclature) usually gets his name abbreviated to just "L." |
| 360 | * [[TheTropeFormerlyKnownAsX The artist formerly known as "The Artist Formerly Known as]] Music/{{Prince}}" had, during the time when he was known by the quoted name, an unpronounceable symbol as his name. Said symbol, while not a alphabetical letter, still had to be printed during this time, and Warner Brothers had to send out floppy disks of a special font that included the symbol so that print media could print it. |
| 361 | * There are several one-letter geographic names, including: |
| 362 | ** D, "the world's shortest" river in Oregon. |
| 363 | ** E, a township in Maine. |
| 364 | ** Å, Nordic for "brook", a dozen places in Scandinavia. There are also 249 Norwegians with this as a surname, spelled "Aa". It's pronounced "awe", by the way. |
| 365 | ** Y, a commune in northern France; amusingly, "y" is [[PunnyName French for "there"]]. Also a "census-designated place" of the same name in Alaska. And a short river in Siberia. |
| 366 | ** Mount E, a volcano in Northern Japan. |
| 367 | ** Ö, Nordic for "island", several places in Scandinavia. Linguistically the same as "öja" or "eya", and survives in many English place names as suffix ''-ey'', such as Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney. |
| 368 | ** The IJ[[note]]''IJ'' is treated as a single letter in the Dutch language[[/note]], a lake in Amsterdam. |
| 369 | ** UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC has several east-west streets named with single letters, starting from A and going up through the alphabet as they get farther from the National Mall. Streets of note include K Street (where many political groups have offices and is now a metronym for the massive lobbying industry as a whole), U Street (a historic African American cultural center and now a trendy place to live), and J Street (or rather the ''non-existence'' of it -- the order jumps from I to K because the ancient Romans didn't have that letter either). |
| 370 | ** UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity's appropriately-named Alphabet City neighborhood in Manhattan's Lower East Side is named for Avenues A, B, C, and D located there. This in turn inspired the name for ''Theatre/AvenueQ''. |
| 371 | * A writer for ''Wired'' magazine named his daughter "E" with the intent of letting her choose her own name later on. She decided to stay as "E". |
| 372 | ** He then did a complete 180 and gave his son a [[OverlyLongName name that wouldn't fit in a single row of text on this page]]. |
| 373 | * ? of the band ? and the Mysterions, although ?'s name[[note]]It's widely believed that his birth name was Rudy Martinez, but his legal name was "?."[[/note]] is normally rendered as "Question Mark" in interviews. |
| 374 | * UsefulNotes/HarryTruman's name is in full "Harry S. Truman". Besides having the name "Harry"--usually a nickname for Henry or Harold--as his actual first name,[[note]]He was named after his maternal uncle Harrison "Harry" Young, but that doesn't change the fact that his name was Harry, not Harrison[[/note]] the "S" famously doesn't stand for anything. His middle name was really just "S.". This was apparently an old Scots-Irish tradition, revived by Truman's family because they couldn't decide if they wanted his middle name was to be "Solomon" (after his maternal grandfather Solomon Young) or "Shipp" (after his paternal grandfather Anderson Shipp Truman). However, the UrbanLegend that his name was "S" without a period is false--he almost always spelled his middle name with a period, despite it not standing for anything--the legend comes from a joke that the famously folksy Truman once told the press. |
| 375 | ** UsefulNotes/UlyssesSGrant is in the boat as well, though his name came about due to a clerical error when he enrolled at West Point: his birth name was Hiram Ulysses Grant, which rather unfortunately abbreviated to "H.U.G."--not exactly the kind of nickname you want either on the frontier (he grew up in the then-relatively backwoods area east of Cincinnati) or at a military academy, which is why he wasn't in any hurry to correct the Academy administration when it messed up his name. Later, Grant did take on the nickname "Sam". |
| 376 | * H Ty Warner, the founder of Ty Inc. (creators of Toys/BeanieBabies and various other plush toys). He added the "H" as an affectation. |
| 377 | * J Mascis, the frontman of Music/DinosaurJr. His full name is Joseph Donald Mascis Jr. |
| 378 | * Music/JohnnyCash's birth name was J. R. Cash because his parents could not think of a good name at the time. He later changed it to John R. Cash when he enlisted to the U.S. Air Force (the middle initial still didn't stand for anything). |
| 379 | * An unusual variant (even for this list) is journalist Jennifer 8. Lee. Yes, her middle name is the number 8. Apparently, she chose it as a teenager as she wasn't given a middle name at birth. On legal documents, it's spelled out "eight" when numbers aren't allowed. |
| 380 | * Meiji author Kyūsaku Yumeno was also sometimes known as "Q". |
| 381 | * Actress Creator/SEpathaMerkerson legally changed her first name from "Sharon" to "S". |
| 382 | * J Allard, the former VP of Microsoft's Xbox division during the early Platform/Xbox360 era, although he was born as "James Allard". |
| 383 | * John R. Road in UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}} is named for former Detroit mayor John R. Williams. As his middle name really was just the letter R, the road got its unique name accordingly. |
| 384 | * In addition to UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald also killed a police officer named J. D. Tippit. His first name was literally the letter "J" (not "Jay".) |
| 385 | * The same is true for J Mays, an industrial designer most notable for his work in the auto industry, first with Audi and its parent company Volkswagen before a longer and more prominent run at Ford. |
| 386 | * Legendary [[UsefulNotes/PowerFiveConferences Texas Longhorns]] football coach Darrell K Royal had only that letter as his middle name. Without a period. |
| 387 | * CountryMusic singer T. G. Sheppard; while this is a stage name (his real name is William Neal Browder), the "T. G." doesn't actually stand for anything. |
| 388 | * X [=Æ=] A-12 Musk, son of Music/{{Grimes}} and Elon Musk. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Æ The letter Æ]] is known as "ash." |
| 389 | [[/folder]] |
| 390 | |
| 391 | !!Examples of One-Letter Surnames: |
| 392 | * ''Literature/EmilyHTheVikingPrincess''. |
| 393 | * Vanilla H from ''VideoGame/GalaxyAngel''. |
| 394 | * O is a genuine Belgian surname. It also shows up in Hispanic countries, with some people called "de la O". |
| 395 | * Creator/MrT pities the fools who don't realize he's an example. He legally changed his name from Lawrence Tureaud so people would have to call him Mister. |
| 396 | * Louis V. from ''Manga/LoveIsInTheBag''. [[spoiler:Subverted, it's "Vee".]] |
| 397 | * UsefulNotes/MalcolmX was born Malcolm Little. He chose the name "X" to represent his unknown African ancestors, following the standard practice of the Nation of Islam. The name he adopted after leaving the NOI for mainstream Islam, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, does not fit the trope. |
| 398 | * Y ([[InconsistentSpelling or I, or Yi]]) is the second most common family name in Korea, shared by about 20% of the population. Pronounced "ee". In much of the West, however, they take up the more traditional "Lee" (or "Rhee" or "Ri") just to make things less confusing (it matches up better with the Chinese pronunciations for the same character, and it is not incorrect: the traditional spelling is in fact "Ri", a pronunciation still retained in much of the north). So, in a moment of great drama, if you wanted to have an epic SayMyName moment with a person by this surname, you could [[ShoutOut literally shout out]] "''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure Riiiiiiiiiiiiii!]]''" |
| 399 | * In Korean E, O, and U are possible family names (이, 오, and 우, respectively), but are more commonly written as Lee, Oh, and Woo. Addtionally, because of the structure of the Korean writing system--Korean is written in syllable units in which each unit must have 2-4 letters, even if the first letter is a placeholder symbol--it is impossible to have a single letter name when written in Korean. |
| 400 |
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