The Doctor's aliases

The Doctor has employed several different aliases, sometimes only briefly. He has often had aliases assigned to him by others.

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)

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. 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.

Uses of this alias

 * During his exile on Earth with UNIT. (DW: Spearhead from Space, The Time Warrior)
 * 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)

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.

Theta Sigma
Theta Sigma (or, informally, "Thete") 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 symbolize his service to Time during his seventh incarnation.


 * This title may or may not apply to future incarnations of the Doctor.

The Oncoming Storm
The Daleks 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)