History Main / LazyAlias

* ''ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}'': Aquaman has had this as a character trait since the Golden Age of Comics, where he named himself Mr. Waterman while attending college and Seven-Seas Saunders upon [[LineOfSightName spotting a seven-seas shipping company]] at the docks. Arthur Curry's names haven't been much better, as a Silver Age appearance had him use the alias "C. King" and reuse the Waterman last name when undercover, while ''ComicBook/Aquaman2011'' had him use "Aquaman" as a codename within Atlantis.

* ''ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}'' has had this as a character trait since the Golden Age of Comics, where he named himself Mr. Waterman while attending college and Seven-Seas Saunders upon [[LineOfSightName spotting a seven-seas shipping company]] at the docks. Arthur Curry's names haven't been much better, as a Silver Age appearance had him use the alias "C. King" and reuse the Waterman last name when undercover, while ''ComicBook/AquamanRebirth'' had him use "Aquaman" as a codename within Atlantis.
* In ''ComicBook/AstroCity'', Samaritan uses the alias Asa Martin in order to maintain a cover identity. Granted, he only bothers with the civilian identity because he needs regular access to an Internet connection in order to run the alien computer that keeps him up-to-date with the world's crises.
* ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk1962:'' While disguising himself as a perfectly normal archaeologist, the long-lived supervillain Tyrannus goes under the name... "Mr. Tyrannus".
%%* ''ComicBook/JusticeLeague'': In one issue, the Martian Manhunter disguises himself as a female Japanese reporter named Rei Hino. Unfortunately, this happens to be the name of one of the main characters in ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' ([[http://sailormoonnews.com/2012/12/28/did-batman-read-sailor-moon/batman_calls_out_martian_manhunter_hino_rei_full_page/ pointed out by Batman of all people]]).
* ''ComicBook/TheKiller'': The Killer complains about this when his employers give him a passport with the name "Labataille" for a particular job. They thought they were being cute, but he points out that it's [[PunnyName too obvious]], although he still manages to slip through customs.

** His youthful ward ComicBook/BuckyBarnes himself used the alias "[[RealNameAsAnAlias Bucky]]" throughout World War II, though this has been retconned away since due to being too silly.

* ''Manga/{{Gintama}}'': Katsura is prone to giving himself these due to a combination of insisting on being named correctly and just plain not being very bright. Since he's a wanted outlaw who must avoid identification and arrest, this causes quite a lot of hilarity.

* ''Webcomic/CirqueRoyale'': When Will is telling his nieces and nephews about how he lost his leg, [[spoiler:namely that he and his twin brother Will were born as [[HalfIdenticalTwins Half-Identical]] ConjoinedTwins and only had three legs between them]], he changes the names of his family in-story other than his parents, the then-king and queen who are only referred to by title. Quinn is "Quincy", Penelope is "Pinecone", and Manet and Pascal are "Monet" and "Pierre". The author mocks this in [[TheRant the notes below]] and includes "Princeton and Capricorn," aka Kingston and Leo.

* ''Manga/MariaNoDanzai'': Despite cutting off all ties with her old life when she was a happy housewife and mother, Maria decides to use her maiden name while carrying out her revenge. A common surname, but her old surname just the same.

* In ''Literature/TheEminenceInShadow'', one member of the Seven Shadows, Epsilon, uses "Silon" as a civilian name which is only the two first letters removed from her actual name while two other members, Delta and Zeta, add a letter to the end of theirs to make "Delta''n''" and "Zeta''n''".
* ''Manga/MariaNoDanzai'': Despite cutting off all ties with her old life when she was a happy housewife and mother, Maria decides to use her maiden name while carrying out her revenge. A common surname, but her old surname just the same.

* In ''Literature/Rule34'', the killer is issued fake documents to the name of John Christie. No one bats an eye at this, save for the man himself, who suspects it was specifically chosen because it's the name of a serial killer and it's this trope via his suppliers getting cute. He's not amused, and requests a change of documents. When the new set drops, and he sees the new name is that of ''another'' serial killer, he realizes someone is trying to get him caught by making him stand out more.
* In Creator/DonaldWestlake's ''God Save the Mark'' Fred Fitch believes that his late uncle's doctor might refuse to talk to him if he gives his real name, so he uses the name "Fred Nedick" when he calls to make an appointment.
* ''Literature/ReignOfTheSevenSpellblades'': Main character Oliver Horn lives under an assumed identity, consisting of his real given name and a made-up surname. It's really only his precise parentage that he's trying to conceal: he doesn't even bother to hide that he's the cousin of Gwyn and Shannon Sherwood.

* In ''Franchise/DoctorWho'', the Master has the terrible habit of choosing names that either have "Master" in them or refer to concepts like domination and ruling in a variety of languages. Examples include "Colonel Masters", "Victor Magister", "Inspector [=LeMaitre=]", "Duke Dominus", and "Inspector Effendi". In a particularly [[{{Chuunibyou}} chuuni]] example of this trope, he once indulged on it to the point of calling himself "Harcourt De'ath".
** The Doctor is prone to this as well, often adopting the alias John Smith. In the episode "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E10Midnight Midnight]]", which deconstructs the Doctor's usual MysteriousStranger shtick, this comes back to bite him as an increasingly paranoid group of people begin to, somewhat understandably, question the unknown, cagey ([[ImpossibleGenius and weirdly knowledgeable]]) man in their midst and his motives. When his name is demanded, he reflexively replies with the above, which is immediately called out as fake and only stokes everyone's mistrust of him.

* "Genya Arikado" from ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaAriaOfSorrow'' and ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaDawnOfSorrow''. It's basically just Alucard pronouncing his name in Japanese.

* Spoofed in ''WebComic/BrawlInTheFamily'': meet [[http://brawlinthefamily.keenspot.com/wp-content/uploads/2008-11-12-103-Dededoo.jpg Kingsonnn Dededoo]] (totally not [[TheRival King Dedede]]). He is here to '''clean Franchise/{{Kirby}}'s clock'''. [[spoiler:[[LiteralMetaphor Literally]]. Turns out that despite all evidence to the contrary, he is '''not''' actually Dedede.]]
* In ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob,'' when Bob became a superhero for about half a day, he tried to stop a bank robbery. The robber asked his name and, suddenly realizing he hadn't thought of one, he blurts out, "I'm Bob-Man!" He immediately smacks his own face in disgust... but the name ''works,'' and the robber in question doesn't figure out it was him until much much later.

-->'''Vampire Leader''': (angrily) Why the fuck would he name himself after a famous vampire movie?! Was he doing a bit?!
-->'''Assistant:''' I do not know, your unholiness.
-->'''Vampire Leader:''' Jesus fucking Christ. from now on, no more of this clever name bullshit! When a vampire's trying to be human, they can just call themselves "Allen Jefferson", or something like that.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtHead'' episode "1-900-BEAVIS", the pair call a phone sex hotline. Beavis tells Butt-Head not to use their real names.
-->'''Butt-Head:''' Uhh...I'm Beavis. And he's Butt-Head.

* ''Manga/{{Gintama}}'': Katsura is prone to giving himself these due to a combination of insisting on being named correctly and just plain not being very bright. Since he's a wanted outlaw who must avoid arrest, this causes quite a lot of hilarity.

** The Doctor is prone to this as well, often adopting the alias John Smith. In the episode "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E10Midnight Midnight]]", which deconstructs the Doctor's usual MysteriousStranger shtick, this comes back to bite him as an increasingly paranoid group of people begin to, somewhat understandably, question the unknown, cagey ([[ImpossibleGenius and weirdly knowledgeable]]) man in their midst and his motives. When his real name is demanded, he reflexively replies with the above, which is immediately called out as fake and only stokes everyone's mistrust of him.

* In ''Literature/TheEminenceInShadow'', one member of the Seven Shadows, Epsilon, uses "Silon" as a civilian name which is only the two first letters removed from her actual name while two other members, Delta and Zeta, add a letter to the end and making it "Delta''n''" and "Zeta''n''".

* In ''Literature/TheEminenceInShadow'', one member of the Seven Shadows, Epsilon, uses "Silon" as a civilian name. This name is only two first letters removed from her actual name.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9268425/12/Honey Honey]]'' Harry gives fake names for himself, Ron, Hermione and Neville when questioned by the Ministry of Magic's phone-booth entry. His less-than-inspired choices are Abe Barnhatter, Carla Deladong, Ernie Faysworth and Greg Hoax.