11 versions of 'Average Joe' from other countries

Morten Menigmand sounds anything but normal. And yet...

Average Joe
(Image credit: (iStock))

Average Joe, Joe Schmo, John Doe. He's bland and average. Faceless, but not nameless. Every country needs a way to talk about just "some guy." Here's what 11 countries call that typical guy, who might have no specific qualities, but is still "one of our own."

1. GERMANY: OTTO NORMALVERBRAUCHER

Otto "normal consumer" or "middlebrow."

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2. CHINA: ZHANG SAN

Translates to "Zhang 3." Sometimes shows up with Li Si (Li 4) and Wang Wu (Wang 5).

3. DENMARK: MORTEN MENIGMAND

Morton Everyman.

4. AUSTRALIA: FRED NURK

Sounds pretty normal to me.

5. RUSSIA: VASYA PUPKIN

With a name like that, it's hard not to be a typical schmo.

6. FINLAND: MATTI MEIKÄLÄINEN

Meikäläinen looks like a typical Finnish surname, but it also means "one of us."

7. SWEDEN: MEDELSVENSSON

Just your average Svensson.

8. FRANCE: MONSIEUR TOUT-LE-MONDE

"Mr. Everyone." Also goes by Jean Dupont

9. UK/NEW ZEALAND: JOE BLOGGS

Still an average Joe (but can also be a Fred).

10. ITALY: MARIO ROSSI

In Italy they just use a common name.

11. LATIN AMERICA: JUAN PÉREZ

Likewise in various Spanish-speaking countries in Central and South America.

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