List of terms referring to an average person explained

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

Unsorted

• Everyman
• T.C. Mits
• Average Joe
• Normie^[1]

By culture

Arab world

Fulān (male:), Fulāna (female: Arabic: فلانة),^[2] also (male with family name: Fulān al-Fulani)^[3]

Argentina

• María Victoria Villareal^[4] is used in the National Identity Cards (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.^[5]

Australia

• Man on the Bondi tram (in legal context in New South Wales only)

Austria

• Hans Meier / Maier / Mayer^[6]
• Herr und Frau Österreicher (Mr and Mrs Austrian)^[7]

Belgium (Dutch)

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

Colombia

• Pepito o 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 name and surname
• Otakar Všudybyl ("Ottokar Waseverywhere")^[8] and Jana Zcestovalá ("Jane Welltraveled"),^[9] used on travelcards or ID cards samples
• BFU (Běžný Franta Uživatel, "Basic User Frank"), meaning "brain free user"^[10]

Denmark

• Hr. og Fru Danmark (Mr. and Mrs. Denmark)^[11]
• Hr. og Fru Hakkebøf (Mr. and Mrs. Beef Patty)^[12]

Estonia

• Inimene tänavalt (Person from the street)^{[13] [14] [15]}

Finland

• Matti Meikäläinen (male, literally "our Matti"), Maija Meikäläinen (female, literally "our Maija")^[16]

France

• Usable as a common word: Pierre-Paul-Jacques (with the meaning of "Someone");^[17]
• Random people (similar to Average John/Jane): Monsieur/Madame Tout-le-monde (Mr/Mrs Everyone), Untel/Unetelle (Mr/Mrs NoName),^[18] Madame Michu (only female),^[19] (M./Mme) Tartempion (familiar and little satirical);^[20]
• Other:
  • (M./Mme) Machin/Machine (familiar terms, used when one does not take the pain to find another term);^[21]
  • (Un) Gazier originally, a man who worked in gas transport; nowadays, it is a familiar term to tell "Someone" (mostly for a man, this term is rare for women, and in such a case, the correct orthography is "Gazière").^[22]
  • (Un) Quidam: someone whose identity is unknown or cannot be disclosed.^[23]

See also

Germany

• Max Mustermann (Max Sample Man, for men), Erika Mustermann (Erika Sample Man, for women), used as a placeholder name in official documents, ID samples etc. since 1978. More recently, other first names have also been used in specific context, such as Leon Mustermann (sample children's passport),^[24] Cleopâtre Mustermann (sample travel document for foreigners),^[25] or Manu Musterperson (Manu Sample Person, as a gender-neutral form).^[26]

Greater China

• (pinyin: Xiǎomíng, Jyutping: siu² ming⁴, Wugniu: ³siau-min₂), a common generic name used in educational or comedic situations.^[27]
• (pinyin: Mǒumǒu, Jyutping: mau⁵ mau⁵, Wugniu: ⁴meu-meu₄), (pinyin: Mǒujiǎ, Jyutping: mau⁵ gaap³, Wugniu: ⁴meu-ciaq₇), (pinyin: Mǒuyǐ, Jyutping: mau⁵ jyut³, Wugniu: ⁴meu-iq₇), etc., equivalent to "Person A, Person B, etc."; meaning "a certain". Heavenly stems are often used to number the unspecified people.

Mainland China

• Chinese: 劉一 (pinyin: Líu Yī), Chinese: 陳二 (Chén Èr), Chinese: 張三 (Zhāng Sān), Chinese: 李四 (Lǐ Sì), Chinese: 王五 (Wáng Wǔ), Chinese: 趙六 (Zhào Lìu), Chinese: 孫七 (Sūn Qī), Chinese: 周八 (Zhōu Bā), Chinese: 吳九 (Wǔ Jiǔ), Chinese: 鄭十 (Zhèng Shí), all following the scheme of a common surname followed by a number
• Chinese: 冬冬 (Dōngdōng), Chinese: 妞妞 (Niǔniǔ), Chinese: 妮妮 (Níní) for children^{[28] [29]}

Hong Kong

• Chinese: 陳大文 (Jyutping: can⁴ daai⁶ man⁴) (male) and Chinese: 陳小美 (Jyutping: can⁴ siu² mei⁵) (female)
• Chinese: 樂永晴 (Jyutping: lok⁶ wing⁵ cing⁴) or Lok Wing Ching, the name currently used on the sample identity card.

Taiwan

• Chinese: 志明 (pinyin: Zhìmíng, POJ: Chì-bêng) (male) and Chinese: 春嬌 (pinyin: Chūnjiāo, POJ: Chhun-kiau) (female)

India (and Pakistan)

• Aam Aadmi

Ireland

• Tadhg an mhargaidh^[30] ("Tadhg of the market")

Israel

• Ploni and Almoni^[31]

Italy

• Mario Rossi,^[32] a very common name
• Pinco Pallino,^[33] a made up name
• Tal dei Tali,^[34] a made up name with the meaning of "Guy of the Guys"
• Signor Nessuno ^[35] ("Mr. Nobody")
• "Tizio,^[36] Caio^[37] e Sempronio^[38] " equivalent to "Tom, Dick and Harry". Originated from Tiberius, Gaius and Sempronius Gracchus.

Japan

• (male)
• (female)

Malaysia

• Cik Kiah (uncle Kiah), a derivative of the name Makcik Kiah (auntie Kiah), a name made up by PM Tan Sri Muhyiddin to illustrate an average Malaysian: a Pisang goreng seller earning the median rural income.^{[39] [40] [41]}

Netherlands

• Jan Modaal ("John Modal"), used to refer to those with a median income
• Henk en Ingrid, used by politician Geert Wilders
• Jan met de pet ("John with the cap")

Norway

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

Philippines

• Juan dela Cruz (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 (the most common Polish surname), Malinowski, or Wiśniewski: "Imagine our neighbors, the Kowalskis or Nowaks, who earn PLN 100 less per month than we do".^[42]
• 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.^{[43] [44]} When talking about another such person in a single utterance, one can use the surname Igrekowski,^[45] 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).^{[46] [47] [48] [49]}

Portugal

• Fulano (from Arabic), Sicrano (unknown etymology), Beltrano (from given name Beltrão)^[50] "Fulano, Sicrano e Beltrano" equivalent to "Tom, Dick and Harry"
• Zé Ninguém (literally Joseph Nobody) equivalent to “Average Joe”)

Romania

• Cutărescu, general term used in order to avoid a specific surname; a no-name ^[51]

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.

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.^[52] There is a military joke: The sergeant asks the rookies: "Your surnames!" - "Ivanov!", "Petrov!", "Sidorov!" - "Are you brothers?" - "No, we are namesakes, sir!"^[53]

Spain

• Fulano, from Arabic, Mengano, Zutano. "Fulano, Mengano y Zutano" equivalent to "Tom, Dick and Harry"

Sweden

• Svensson (a common surname) or Medelsvensson (literally "middle/average Svensson")^{[54] [55]}

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')^[56]

United Kingdom

• Fred Bloggs or Joe Bloggs
• Joe Public or Jane Public
• John Smith
• Joe Soap
• Man on the Clapham omnibus
• Mrs Miggins^[57]
• Tom, Dick and Harry
• Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells or Outraged of Tunbridge Wells^[58]

United States and Canada

• John Smith
• John Doe and Jane Doe
• John Q. Public
• Joe the Plumber ^[59]
• Tom, Dick and Harry
• Average Joe
• Joe Sixpack
• Joe Shmoe/Joe Blow
• Private Snuffy or Joe Snuffy (used in the US Army)^[60]

See also

• Commoner
• Everyman's right

Notes and References

1. Web site: Cambridge Dictionary - Normie . Cambridge Dictionary.
2. Web site: March 17, 2018 . نذكرها كثيراً في أحاديثنا.. ما هو "فلان" أو "فلانة"؟ . العربية.
3. Web site: معنى فلان الفلاني في قواميس ومعاجم اللغة العربية . 2024-06-23 . www.arabdict.com.
4. Web site: CARACTERÍSTICAS DEL DOCUMENTO NACIONAL DE IDENTIDAD .
5. Web site: CARACTERÍSTICAS DEL DOCUMENTO NACIONAL DE IDENTIDAD .
6. Web site: Max Mustermann - es gibt ihn wirklich . 23 November 2020 . Max Mustermann - he actually exists.
7. Web site: Ernährungsfehler von Herrn und Frau Österreicher . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304194500/https://www.gesundheit.gv.at/Portal.Node/ghp/public/content/ernaehrung-praevention-ernaehrungsfehler-oesterreich-HK.html . 2016-03-04 . Unhealthy Food Habits Of Mr and Mrs Austrian.
8. Web site: Od 1. 6. 2020 je možné vydat LP na doklad pacienta Elektronické preskripce . 2023-09-22 . www.epreskripce.cz.
9. Web site: In Karta - Dospělý 26 let a starší | České dráhy. www.cd.cz.
10. Web site: Po stopách BFU. 2024-03-23. www.root.cz. Petr Krčmář.
11. Web site: hr. og fru Danmark . August 28, 2022 . Den Danske Ordbog . Det Danske Sprog- og Litteraturselskab . da.
12. Web site: Tøser, autister og hr. og fru Hakkebøf. April 8, 2022. Politiken. Politiken. da.
13. Web site: Monika Salumaa: tõeliselt igav, kui kõik oleksid ühe näo ja teoga . Tervise Arengu Instituut . 2023-02-27 . 2024-03-24.
14. Web site: Roosi tn näituse "Silmside" avamine . Eesti Rahva Muuseum . 2018-06-15 . et . 2024-03-24.
15. Web site: Sakala 11 juuli 2020 . DIGAR Eesti artiklid . 2020-07-11 . et . 2024-03-24.
16. Book: Milburn, Trudy. Communicating User Experience: Applying Local Strategies Research to Digital Media Design. 2015. Lexington Books. 978-1-4985-0614-4. 134.
17. News: Pierre, Paul ou Jacques en français & son équivalent anglais | Yolaine Bodin. Yolaine Bodin . 16 February 2017.
18. Web site: Untel : Définition simple et facile du dictionnaire. www.linternaute.fr. 4 January 2021 .
19. Web site: Madame Michu (Définition).
20. Web site: Tartempion (Définition).
21. Web site: MACHIN : Définition de MACHIN.
22. Web site: Définitions : Gazier - Dictionnaire de français Larousse.
23. Web site: QUIDAM - Définition de QUIDAM.
24. Web site: BGBl. 2007 I S. 2386, 2411 . www.bgbl.de.
25. Web site: Zweite Verordnung zur Änderung der Passverordnung sowie zur Änderung der Aufenthaltsverordnung vom 15. Februar 2017, Anlage 1 (zu Artikel 1), BGBl. I S. 162, Anlagen D4c, D7a, D8a. www.bgbl.de.
26. Web site: Gender-Regeln: Berliner Beamte sollen ihre Pronomen angeben. February 5, 2023. Berliner Zeitung.
27. Web site: 小明. 24 March 2024.
28. Zhang. Dongmei. 2009. 《明确意义再计算》. 数学小灵通：小学3-4年级版. 6. 5–6, 16. 辽宁北方教育报刊出版有限公司. Shenyang. 1009-0320. 晚上，李老师来到咚咚家，耐心地给他辅导今天所讲的内容。有一块蛋糕，妮妮吃了3/8，妞妞吃了4/8[……]. Zh-hans.
29. Wenjun. Hou. 2020. 《打破父母对孩子的"完美幻想"》. 婚姻与家庭：家庭教育版. 2. 41. 中国婚姻家庭研究会、中国妇女杂志社. 北京市. 1003-2991. Zh-hans.
30. Web site: Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla (Ó Dónaill): Tadhg. Niall Ó Dónaill. 1977. An Gúm. Baile Átha Cliath. 978-1857910384. 2024-07-03. ga. Teanglann.ie.
31. Web site: Boaz and Ploni Almoni Yeshivat Har Etzion . 2023-06-26 . etzion.org.il.
32. Web site: Waldman. Katy. 2015-03-20. Are You a John Q. Public or a Joe Blow?. 2021-06-20. Slate Magazine. en.
33. Web site: pinco¹ in Vocabolario - Treccani. 2021-06-20. www.treccani.it. it-IT.
34. Web site: tale in Vocabolario - Treccani. 2021-06-20. www.treccani.it. it-IT.
35. Web site: nessuno, signor nessuno - Dizionario italiano-francese WordReference.com. 2021-06-20. www.wordreference.com. it.
36. Web site: Tìzio in Vocabolario - Treccani. 2021-06-20. www.treccani.it. it-IT.
37. Web site: Càio in Vocabolario - Treccani. 2021-06-20. www.treccani.it. it-IT.
38. Web site: Semprònio in Vocabolario - Treccani. 2021-06-20. www.treccani.it. it-IT.
39. Web site: Times. New Straits. 2020-03-27. 'Makcik Kiah' is famous now but who is she? New Straits Times. 2021-03-07. NST Online. en.
40. Web site: 2020-03-27. Mak Cik Kiah peniaga pisang goreng dah boleh senyum sikit.... 2021-03-07. Sinarharian. ms.
41. Web site: Chung. Esther. We Are All Makcik Kiah, And Her Family Is Our Family TRP. 2021-03-07. www.therakyatpost.com/. 28 March 2020 . en-US.
42. , "PRZECIĘTNY KOWALSKI. UWAGI O KONOTACJACH I MEDIALNYCH WYSTĄPIENIACH JEDNOSTKI ONIMICZNEJ", Zeszyty Naukowe KUL, vol 58, no. 3 (231), 2015, pp. 3-9.
43. Web site: Wielki Słownik Języka Polskiego PAN . Iksiński - Wielki słownik języka polskiego PAN . 2024-03-24 . wsjp.pl . pl-PL.
44. Web site: Iksiński – Słownik języka polskiego PWN . 2024-03-24 . sjp.pwn.pl . pl.
45. Web site: Igrekowski – Dobry słownik języka polskiego i poradnia językowa . 2024-03-24 . DobrySłownik.pl . pl-PL.
46. Web site: Otwarte Dane . 2024-03-24 . dane.gov.pl.
47. Web site: Otwarte Dane . 2024-03-24 . dane.gov.pl.
48. Web site: Otwarte Dane . 2024-03-24 . dane.gov.pl.
49. Web site: Otwarte Dane . 2024-03-24 . dane.gov.pl.
50. Web site: De onde vêm os termos Fulano, Beltrano e Sicrano? . September 27, 2016.
51. Web site: Cutărescu - definiție și paradigmă . March 26, 2024.
52. Web site: Иванов, Петров, Сидоров... . https://archive.today/20121225113942/http://www.grammatik.narod.ru/ivanov.html . 2012-12-25 . "Чужое имя", Kanun Almanac [Альманах Канун] . 6 . . 2001 . 273–293.
53. Web site: Alim . Akhmadeev . ИВАНОВ, ПЕТРОВ, СИДОРОВ . Istoki . July 3, 2020.
54. Book: Ehn, Billy . Försvenskningen av Sverige: det nationellas förvandlingar . Frykman . Jonas . Löfgren . Orvar . 1995 . Natur och Kultur . 978-91-27-03285-9 . 2. tryckn . Stockholm . 70.
55. Web site: svensson SAOB . 2024-03-24 . sv-SE.
56. Web site: นาย ก . thai-language . 2018-12-20.
57. Web site: Smart Meters Bill (Third sitting) - Hansard - UK Parliament.
58. Web site: 2013-12-08. Outraged of Tunbridge Wells, Edited by Nigel Cawthorne - Review. 2020-06-13. The Independent. en.
59. Web site: Roberts . Sam . Samuel Wurzelbacher, Celebrated as 'Joe the Plumber,' Dies at 49 . The New York Times . 2023-08-28 . 2024-03-24.
60. Web site: Who was the real Pvt. Joe Snuffy?. DVIDS.