Who are Jane and John Doe?
Looking at the use case and history of these multiple-use names.
[tw: rape, assault]
In 1973, a landmark legal case known to many as “Roe v. Wade” occurred. Less known is the fact that “Roe” was half of Jane Roe, a pseudonym for the plaintiff.
In 1986, a woman known only as Jane Doe to the public, engaged in an 11-year court battle with the Toronto Police Department after they used her as bait to catch the infamous “Balcony Rapist.” She won the case.
In 2015, a man raped “Emily Doe” on the Stanford University campus. Emily Doe was not actually the victim’s name.
And, in March of 2021, a man charged with mass murder was named “John Doe” in the judge’s court decision. On the basis that the man wanted publicity for the murders, the judge chose to call him “John Doe.”
All of these names — usually versions of Jane and John Doe — are multiple-use pseudonyms that have been used, historically, in a variety of cases. But why? What is the origin of such names?
John Who? — A recent history
As far as I could gather, the history of the John/Jane Doe notation is quite a recent one. According to a mini-journalistic investigation done by New York Times columnist, William…
