The following is a list of terms referring to an average person. Many are used as

placeholder name Placeholder names are intentionally overly generic and ambiguous terms referring to things, places, or people, the names of which or of whom do not actually exist; are temporarily forgotten, or are unimportant; or in order to avoid stigmat ...

Ungrouped

Average Joe The terms average Joe, ordinary Joe, regular Joe, Joe Sixpack, Joe Lunchbucket, Joe Snuffy, Joe Blow, Joe Schmoe (for males), and ordinary Jane, average Jane, and plain Jane (for females), are used primarily in North America to refer to a comple ...

Everyman The everyman is a stock character of fiction. An ordinary and humble character, the everyman is generally a protagonist whose benign conduct fosters the audience's identification with them. Origin and history The term ''everyman'' was used ...

* Man on (or in) the street * Normie * T.C. Mits

By culture

Arabic

Fulān (male: ), Fulāna (female: ), also (male with family name: Fulān al-Fulani)

Argentina

* María Victoria Villareal is used in the

National Identity Cards An identity document (abbreviated as ID) is a documentation, document proving a person's Identity (social science), identity. If the identity document is a plastic card it is called an ''identity card'' (abbreviated as ''IC'' or ''ID card''). ...

(DNI) specimens, born in 60's. However, she was replaced with others. * Virgilio Portillo is a non-citizen, generally appear as Paraguayan nationality. *Manuela Martínez or Fernández (Depending on DNI version), is a girl that has "MANU", in her signature. * Juan Pérez is used colloquially as a generic male full name. * Fulano, Mengano, Zutano, three fake names, were used in the past as 'some guy,' as in "On his way to work he ran into Fulano ome guyand they spoke for a while."

Australia

* Man on the Bondi tram (in legal context in

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

only)

Austria

* Hans Meier / Maier / Mayer * Herr und Frau Österreicher (Mr and Mrs

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ** Austria-Hungary ** Austria ...

)

Belgium (Dutch)

* Jan met de pet ("John with the cap")

Colombia

*Pepito or Pepita Pérez (lit. "Little Joe Pérez" or "Little Josephine Pérez"), used due to its alliterative sound.

Czechia

* Jan Novák ("John/Jon Newman"), Jana Nováková ("Jane Newman"); the most common

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

name and surname * Otakar Všudybyl ("Ottokar Waseverywhere") and Jana Zcestovalá ("Jane Welltraveled"), used on travelcards or ID cards samples * BFU (Běžný Franta Uživatel, "Basic User Frank"), meaning "brain free user"

Denmark

* Hr. og Fru Danmark (Mr. and Mrs. Denmark) * Hr. og Fru Hakkebøf (Mr. and Mrs.

Beef Patty A patty is a flattened, usually round, serving of ground meat or legumes, grains, vegetables, or meat alternatives. Common ground meat used include beef, bison, elk, turkey, chicken, ostrich, and salmon. Patties are found in multiple c ...

)

Estonia

* Inimene tänavalt (Person from the street)

Finland

* Matti Meikäläinen (male) Maija Meikäläinen (female).

France

* Usable as a common word: Pierre-Paul-Jacques (with the meaning of "Someone"); * Random people (similar to Average John/Jane): Monsieur/Madame Tout-le-monde (Mr/Mrs Everyone), Untel/Unetelle (Mr/Mrs NoName; literally, “a such” and thus similar to the English “so-and-so”), Madame Michu (only female), (M./Mme) Tartempion (familiar and a little satirical); * Other: ** (M./Mme) Machin/Machine (familiar terms, used when one does not wish take the trouble to think of a more specific term); ** (Un) Gazier originally, a man who worked in gas transport; nowadays, it is a familiar way to say "Someone" (mostly for a man; this term is rare for women, and in such case, the correct word is the feminine form "Gazière"). ** (Un)

Quidam ''Quidam'' ( ) was the ninth stage show produced by Cirque du Soleil. It premiered in April 1996 and has been watched by millions of spectators around the world. ''Quidam'' originated as a big-top show in Montreal and was converted into an arena ...

: someone whose identity is unknown or cannot be disclosed. See also :fr:wikt:Tartempion#Synonymes

Germany

* Max Mustermann (Max Sample Man, for men), Erika Mustermann (Erika Sample Man, for women), since 1978. More recently, other first names have also been used in specific context, such as Leon Mustermann (sample children's passport), Cleopâtre Mustermann (sample travel document for foreigners), or Manu Musterperson (Manu Sample Person, as a gender-neutral form). * :de:Otto Normalverbraucher for economics related purposes

Greater China

* (

pinyin Hanyu Pinyin, or simply pinyin, officially the Chinese Phonetic Alphabet, is the most common romanization system for Standard Chinese. ''Hanyu'' () literally means 'Han Chinese, Han language'—that is, the Chinese language—while ''pinyin' ...

: ''Xiǎomíng'',

Jyutping The Linguistic Society of Hong Kong Cantonese Romanization Scheme, also known as Jyutping, is a romanisation system for Cantonese developed in 1993 by the Linguistic Society of Hong Kong (LSHK). The name ''Jyutping'' (itself the Jyutping ro ...

: ''siu² ming⁴'',

Wugniu Wu Chinese has four major schools of romanization. The most popular school, Common Wu Pinyin (), was developed by amateur language clubs and local learners. There are two competing schemes; both adhere to the International Phonetic Alphabet (IP ...

: ''³siau-min₂''), a common generic name used in educational or comedic situations. * (

: ''Mǒumǒu'',

: ''mau⁵ mau⁵'',

: ''⁴meu-meu₄''), (

: ''Mǒujiǎ'',

: ''mau⁵ gaap³'',

: ''⁴meu-ciaq₇''), (

: ''Mǒuyǐ'',

: ''mau⁵ jyut³'',

: ''⁴meu-iq₇''), etc., equivalent to "Person A, Person B, etc."; meaning "a certain".

Heavenly stems The ten Heavenly Stems (or Celestial Stems) are a system of ordinals indigenous to China and used throughout East Asia, first attested during the Shang dynasty as the names of the ten days of the week. They were also used in Shang-era ritual ...

are often used to number the unspecified people.

Mainland China

* (

: ''Líu Yī''), (''Chén Èr''), (''Zhāng Sān''), (''Lǐ Sì''), (''Wáng Wǔ''), (''Zhào Lìu''), (''Sūn Qī''), (''Zhōu Bā''), (''Wǔ Jiǔ''), (''Zhèng Shí''), all following the scheme of a common surname followed by a number * (''Dōngdōng''), (''Niǔniǔ''), (''Níní'') for children

Hong Kong

* (

: ''can⁴ daai⁶ man⁴'') (male) and (

: ''can⁴ siu² mei⁵'') (female) * (

: ''lok⁶ wing⁵ cing⁴'') or Lok Wing Ching, the name currently used on the sample identity card.

Taiwan

* (

: ''Zhìmíng'', POJ: ''Chì-bêng'') (male) and (

: ''Chūnjiāo'', POJ: ''Chhun-kiau'') (female)

India (and Pakistan)

Aam Aadmi Aam Aadmi (, ) — literal translation: " ordinary man" (''ām'' meaning ordinary + ''ādmī'' meaning man) — is a Hindustani colloquial expression and the equivalent of "the Average Joe." The Indian National Congress based its 2004 election ...

-- literally meaning "ordinary person" in Hindi * Ashok Kumar has been used in multiple court cases as a placeholder name as well * In Pakistan, mainly where the languages are more influenced by Persian, they use Falan as a placeholder more commonly

Ireland

* Tadhg an mhargaidh ("Tadhg of the market")

Italy

* Mario Rossi, a very common name * Pinco Pallino, a made up name * Tal dei Tali, a made up name with the meaning of “so-and-so of all the so-and-sos”, i.e., a particular so-and-so) * Signor Nessuno ("Mr. Nobody") * "Tizio, Caio e Sempronio" equivalent to "Tom, Dick and Harry". Originated from

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus ( ; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was Roman emperor from AD 14 until 37. He succeeded his stepfather Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC to Roman politician Tiberius Cl ...

Gaius Gaius, sometimes spelled Caius, was a common Latin praenomen; see Gaius (praenomen). People * Gaius (biblical figure) (1st century AD) *Gaius (jurist) (), Roman jurist * Gaius Acilius * Gaius Antonius * Gaius Antonius Hybrida * Gaius Asinius Gal ...

and Sempronius Gracchus.

Japan

* (male) * (female)

Malaysia

* Cik Kiah (Ms. Kiah), a derivative of the name Makcik Kiah (auntie Kiah), a name made up by PM

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mahiaddin bin Md Yasin (born 15 May 1947), commonly known as Muhyiddin bin Mohd Yassin (; ), is a Malaysian politician who served as the eighth Prime Minister of Malaysia from 2020 to 2021. Appointed as prime minister amid a political crisis, ...

to illustrate an average Malaysian: a

Pisang goreng A banana fritter is a fritter made by deep frying battered banana or plantain in hot cooking oil. It is a common dish across Southeast Asia and South India. It was originated in Kerala, India. It is commonly found in Kerala and is not served wit ...

seller earning the median rural income.

México

Fulano, mengano, zutano, and perengano are words that are used to refer to someone when their name is not known or is not wanted to be said.

Netherlands

* Jan Modaal ("John Modal"), used to refer to those with a median income * Henk en Ingrid, used by politician

Geert Wilders Geert Wilders (born 6 September 1963) is a Dutch politician who has led the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) since he founded it in 2006. He is also the party's leader in the House of Representatives. Wilders is best known for his right-wing p ...

* Jan met de pet ("John with the cap")

Nigeria

Lagbaja Bisade Ologunde (in Lagos, 1960) is a Nigerian afrobeat musician, singer-songwriter and percussionist. Widely known as Lágbájá for his signature use of mask which covers his identity. He believes in social reform through music. Early life a ...

, literally ‘someone’ in the Yoruba language.

Norway

Ola Nordmann Ola Nordmann is a national personification of Norwegians, either for individuals or collectively. It is also used as a placeholder name. The female counterpart is Kari Nordmann, and collectively they are referred to as Ola og Kari Nordmann (Ola a ...

(male), Kari Nordmann (female), common Norwegian first names and a surname that literally translates to "Norwegian"

Persian-speaking countries (e.g. Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan)

* فلانی (Folānī): Loan word from Arabic, which is used in Persian for both male and female subjects. * یارو (Yarū): Mainly derogatory, and associated strongly with the Tehrani dialect. Is used to mean "that person over there".

Philippines

Juan dela Cruz Juan dela Cruz or Maria dela Cruz (feminized form) is the national personification of the Philippines, often used to represent the " Filipino everyman". He is usually depicted wearing the native '' salakot'' hat, barong tagalog, long pants, ...

(male), María dela Cruz or Juana dela Cruz (female)

Poland

* Jan Kowalski (male), Anna Kowalska (female), the second most common Polish surname. *For a broader representation of average Poles "Kowalski" may be grouped with some other common surnames, such as

Nowak Nowak () is a Polish surname derived from the nickname literally meaning "novice", "newcomer", "rookie". Early records of the surname are dated by the 14th century.It is a gender-neutral surname, with archaic feminine forms Nowakowa (by husband) an ...

(the most common Polish surname), Malinowski, or

Wiśniewski Wiśniewski (; feminine: Wiśniewska, plural Wiśniewscy) is the third most common surname in Poland (111,174 people in 2009).Ministry of Interior (Poland). Statystyka najpopularniejszych nazwisk występujących w Polsce in 2009'' (The most popula ...

: "Imagine our neighbors, the Kowalskis or Nowaks, who earn PLN 100 less per month than we do"., "PRZECIĘTNY KOWALSKI. UWAGI O KONOTACJACH I MEDIALNYCH WYSTĄPIENIACH JEDNOSTKI ONIMICZNEJ", ''Zeszyty Naukowe KUL'', vol 58, no. 3 (231), 2015, pp. 3-9.
Iksiński
a surname formed in accordance with the rules of creating Polish surnames with the common suffix -ski/-ska, but the basis for its creation was the letter X (pronounced "iks" in Polish), which is used to denote unknowns (e.g. in mathematical operations). It is used especially in situations where one wants to emphasise that the person one is talking about is not anyone in particular or that the identity of that person cannot be given. When talking about another such person in a single utterance, one can use the surname Igrekowski, which is derived from the letter Y (pronounced in Polish as "igrek"). Both surnames also have female forms
Iksińska
and Igrekowska respectively. No living Polish citizen bears these surnames (as of 2024).

Portugal/Brazil

Fulano Fulano may refer to: * Fulano, a placeholder name Placeholder names are intentionally overly generic and ambiguous terms referring to things, places, or people, the names of which or of whom do not actually exist; are temporarily forgotten, ...

(from Arabic), Sicrano (unknown etymology), Beltrano (from given name Beltrão) "Fulano, Sicrano e Beltrano" equivalent to "Tom, Dick and Harry" *Zé Ninguém (literally Joe Nobody), equivalent to “Mister Nobody”

Romania

*Cutărescu, general term used in order to avoid a specific surname; a no-name

Russia

Common placeholder first names in Russia are Ivan and Pyotr, due to their ubiquity. Their placeholder function may be seen in old Russian textbooks: in arithmetical problems or sentences to illustrate grammar. The name " Vasya Pupkin" () may be used to denote an average random or unknown person in the colloquial speech. For a group of average persons or to stress the randomness of a selection, a triple common Russian surnames are used together in the same context: "Ivanov, Petrov, or Sidorov". This is a relatively new phenomenon that was unknown in the early 20th century. Ivanov, being derived from the most common first name, is a placeholder for an arbitrary person. In its plural form, "Ivanovs", it may be used as a placeholder for a group of people. There is a military joke: The sergeant asks the rookies: "Your surnames!" - "Ivanov!", "Petrov!", "Sidorov!" - "Are you brothers?" - "No, we are namesakes, sir!"

Serbia

Petar Petrović is the most often used name in examples of how to fill out documents, payment slips etc, alongside the street name Petra Petrovića and the town of Petrovac. Other names: Jovan Jovanović, Marko Marković, Lazar Lazarević, Ivan Ivanović.

Spain

, from Arabic, Mengano, Zutano. "Fulano, Mengano y Zutano" equivalent to "Tom, Dick and Harry" * Perico el de los palotes

Sweden

* Svensson (a common surname) or

Medelsvensson In Sweden, Medelsvensson (literally "average Svensson", but commonly translated as "an average Swede") is a statistically average Swedish person, similar to Average Joe. Colloquially it way also be a humorous, mildly derogatory reference to a rep ...

(literally "middle/average Svensson")

Thailand

* Somchai (common name for male – literally meaning "appropriate for a man"), Somsri (common, if somewhat dated, name for female), Sommai (common names of either gender), ''nai-gor'' ( นาย ก equivalent to 'Mr. A')

United Kingdom

* Fred Bloggs or Joe Bloggs * Joe Public * John Smith *

Man on the Clapham omnibus The man on the Clapham omnibus is a hypothetical ordinary and reasonable person, used by the courts in English law where it is necessary to decide whether a party has acted as a reasonable person would – for example, in a tort, civil action fo ...

Tom, Dick and Harry The phrase "Tom, Dick, and Harry" is a placeholder for unspecified people. The phrase most commonly occurs as "every Tom, Dick, and Harry", meaning ''everyone'', and "any Tom, Dick, or Harry", meaning ''anyone'', although '' Brewer's Dictionary ...

Scotland

* Jock Tamson

United States and Canada

* John Smith *

John Doe John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used in the British, Canadian, and American legal systems, when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law ...

and

Jane Doe John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used in the British, Canadian, and American legal systems, when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law ...

* John Q. Public *Joe the Plumber *

Joe Sixpack The terms average Joe, ordinary Joe, regular Joe, Joe Sixpack, Joe Lunchbucket, Joe Snuffy, Joe Blow, Joe Schmoe (for males), and ordinary Jane, average Jane, and plain Jane (for females), are used primarily in North America to refer to a comple ...

Joe Shmoe Joe Shmoe (also spelled Joe Schmoe and Joe Schmo), meaning "Joe Anybody", or no one in particular, is a commonly used fictional name in American English. Adding a "Shm" to the beginning of a word is meant to diminish, negate, or dismiss an argum ...

/Joe Blow *Private Snuffy or Joe Snuffy (used in the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

)

Yiddish

* Chaim Yankel

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Terms related to an average person, List of Figures of speech Lists of slang * Lists of names