Why was John Doe picked as the name for unidentifiable dead people?
The name was used at least as far back as 1659, in England—”To prosecute the suit, to witt John Doe And Richard Roe”—and perhaps as early as the reign of England’s King Edward III. The Oxford English Dictionary states that John Doe is “the name given to the fictitious lessee of the plaintiff, in the (now obsolete) mixed action of ejectment, the fictitious defendant being called Richard Roe”. The female equivalent is Jane Doe, whilst a child or baby whose identity is unknown may be referred to as Baby Doe (or, in one particular case only, as Precious Doe). Additional persons may be called James Doe, Judy Doe, etc. However, to avoid possible confusion, if two anonymous or unknown parties are cited in a specific case or action, the surnames Doe and Roe may be used simultaneously – for example, “John Doe v. Jane Roe”. Other variations are John Stiles and Richard Miles, now rarely used, and Mary Major, which has been used in some American federal cases.
