Personname

Personname is a placeholder name used in English-language texts to refer to a hypothetical person. It is not intended to denote a real individual and is not commonly used as an actual given name in populations.

Origin and usage

The term combines the generic noun "person" with "name" to create a neutral, non-identifying label. It serves a similar function to other placeholders such as John Doe or Jane Doe, particularly in examples, templates, and test data. In instructional materials and software documentation, Personname may appear as a stand-in for a user, customer, or contact person.

Applications

In software development, documentation, legal forms, and teaching materials, Personname appears as an example field for "full name" or "contact person." In privacy-conscious contexts, it can stand in for an individual's identity when illustrating data handling, redaction, or anonymization techniques.

Limitations and notes

As a placeholder rather than an established identity, Personname should not be assumed to belong to any real person. When used in published works, authors may opt for different stand-ins depending on audience or jurisdiction, or they may avoid using real-looking names altogether to prevent confusion with actual individuals.

See also

John Doe, Jane Doe, Joe Bloggs.