The Doctor has employed several different aliases, sometimes only briefly. He has often had aliases assigned to him by others.
Arguably the Doctor has only ever used aliases publicly, as his given name has never been revealed. It is implied that his given name was ceremoniously withdrawn and stricken by his cousins, as punishment for a disgrace he visited upon his House. (NA: Lungbarrow)
Names used by the Doctor
Major
The Doctor
The Doctor is the name most commonly used by the Time Lord himself, but it is not his real name, as, for example, Carrionite "witchcraft", using true names, did not work on him. (DW: The Shakespeare Code) He did not choose this name for himself, suggesting it was given to him. (EDA: Mad Dogs and Englishmen) The Master says that the Doctor chose his own name when speaking to him, by phone, just after his aliase Harold Saxon became Prime Minister (DW: The Sound of Drums)
John Smith
John Smith was the alias the Doctor generally used as a name on the planet Earth. It was usually preceded by the title "Doctor", but not always - for example, when working undercover as a teacher at a school and as a patient in a hospital (DW: School Reunion, Smith and Jones). It was originally given to him by Jamie during his second incarnation (DW: The Wheel in Space). He adopted it on a semi-regular basis during his third incarnation while exiled on Earth when he served as scientific advistor to UNIT. (DW: Spearhead from Space)
Uses of this alias
- During his exile on Earth with UNIT. (DW: Spearhead from Space, The Time Warrior)
- A modification of this name, Johann Schmidt, was used by the Doctor while impersonating a Nazi Reichsinspektor. (NA: Timewyrm: Exodus)
- Given to him serendipitously by Chang Lee on his hospital admittance forms in the TV movie.
- Undercover as a science teacher at Deffry Vale High School. (DW: School Reunion)
- Undercover as a patient at Royal Hope Hospital. (DW: Smith and Jones)
Minor
Doctor von Wer
Doctor von Wer was an alias briefly adopted by the Doctor during his visit to Scotland in 1745. It is simply Doctor Who translated into German. He also signed a note Doctor W around this time. (DW: The Highlanders)
Doctor James McCrimmon
The Doctor took the name James McCrimmon while visiting Scotland in 1879. (DW: Tooth and Claw)
- The alias James McCrimmon is a references to the Doctor's old companion, Jamie McCrimmon.
Doctor Vile
The Doctor masqueraded as a pirate in order to stop a war. (DW: The Infinite Quest)
Names given to the Doctor
Doctor Foreman by Ian Chesterton in the first episode refered to the Doctor after his grandaughter Susan had used the name Susan Foreman at Coal Hill School in An Unearthly Child
Major
Theta Sigma
Theta Sigma (or, informally, "Theet") was a name given to the Doctor during his youth on the planet Gallifrey. (DW: The Armageddon Factor, The Happiness Patrol, DWM: Flashback)
The Ka Faraq Gatri
The Daleks referred to the Doctor as the Ka Faraq Gatri, which may mean Bringer of Darkness and/or Destroyer of Worlds. By implication, the name Destroyer of Worlds refers to the Doctor's destruction of the Dalek home planet Skaro in his seventh incarnation, an act for which he would consequently feel some remorse. (NA: Timewyrm: Revelation) However, as early as his second incarnation the Doctor knew that the Daleks had given him this name, and the Daleks themselves used it prior to the destruction of Skaro (DWM: Bringer of Darkness, DW: Remembrance of the Daleks (novelisation)).
Time's Champion
Time's Champion was a title given to the Doctor to symbolise his service to Time during his seventh incarnation.
- This title may also apply to future incarnations of the Doctor.
The Oncoming Storm
The Daleks also referred to the Doctor as the Oncoming Storm in the myths of their homeworld, as noted by his ninth incarnation, indicating that the Daleks feared him (DW: The Parting of the Ways). This was also the name given to him by the Draconians, who were generally his allies, to indicate the traumatic events which so often accompanied his arrival. (NA: Love and War)
Doctor Who
WOTAN referred to the Doctor as Doctor Who, for reasons which have never been explained. (DW: The War Machines)
Minor
Professor
For reasons unknown Ace calls the Doctor "Professor" meting him the first time. Although he made, not calling him Professor, one of the rules Ace had to age to (DW: Dragonfire), she keeps calling him Professor without him complaining.
Quiquaequod
Miss Hawthorne referred to the Doctor as "the great wizard Quiquaequod" while attempting to bluff the villagers of Devil's End into releasing him. "Qui", "quae" and "quod" are the masculine, feminine and neutral forms of "who" in Latin. (DW: The Daemons)
Mr. Spock
Captain Jack, thinking Rose and the Doctor are Time Agents, calls him Mister Spock. As The Doctor did not like that, Rose explains: What was I supposed to say? You don't have a name! Don't you ever get tired of "Doctor"? Doctor Who? (DW: The Empty Child) In the DVD commentary, Russel T. Davies explained that it was the remains of a cut joke; The Doctor was originally supposed to reply "I'd rather have Doctor Who than Star Trek!"
