John Doe

1. An average, undistinguished man; also, the average citizen. 2. An unknown individual, especially one involved in a legal matter.

Examples:

• This television show is just right for a John Doe.
• The police found a John Doe lying on the street last night.

Origin: Originally used from the 13th century on legal documents as an alias; the sense of 'ordinary person' dates from the 1800s

Synonyms: john q. public, joe blow, jane doe