The Most Common Men's Names In Movies

Jack is the number one name for a man in a movie, and there are examples from every genre. Probably the most popular one is Jack Sparrow … er, Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp. Throughout the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, people refer to him as “Jack” or “Captain Jack” more than anything else, so the name stands out.

Another popular Jack is Jack Reacher, played in the 2012 film by Tom Cruise. He returned for the sequel in 2016, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. Of course, the character originated from Lee Child's 2005 novel One Shot, but it's a “Jack” in a movie, so it bears mention. Cruise handed the role over to Alan Ritchson for the Amazon Prime series Reacher, so the name lives on in an actor who looks much more like his literary namesake.

Finally, one of the most notorious Jacks in film history is Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson in director Stanley Kubrick's take on Steven King's The Shining. Shelley Duvall was notoriously tormented throughout filming by Kubrick, and during the infamous baseball bat scene where she holds Jack off, Duvall pleads “Jack,” asking him to stop. A rumor surrounding the film's production suggests Duvall's acting was so good in the scene that some believe she wasn't acting so much as she was pleading with her co-star to stop, as they'd filmed the scene for three horrible weeks.

John is one of the most-used names in action movies, and that's clear as soon as you look at some of the top-tier films in the genre. Of late, action has been dominated by one name: John Wick. Keanu Reeves' action franchise is all about excess, and ole' John has racked up quite the body count. Across the four films, Wick eliminated 439 of his enemies, likely making him the most successful assassin in cinema.

Bruce Willis was all about comedy and television work when he was cast as Detective John McClane in Die Hard. That film proved him capable of headlining an action flick, and he had many opportunities to solidify this throughout his career. Willis appeared in four sequels, reprising his role as McClane. Willis even reprised the role for a Die Hard battery commercial in 2020, so it's fair to say Willis' most important “John” had a lasting impact on popular culture.

Another action superstar is Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has played four Johns throughout his career. One of his most successful early films features a John – though Schwarzenegger doesn't play him. The Terminator is about saving Sarah Connor from the T-100 so she can give birth to John Connor. The sequel, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, features John more prominently, as played by Edward Furlong.

There are many Franks in cinema, and it's common to see one pop up in any genre. Frank Castle, aka the Punisher, is one of the deadliest Franks in cinema. Over the years, the franchise has had a few starts and stops, leading to a Dolph Lundgren take on the character in 1989. Thomas Jane (pictured) took over the role in 2004 and was followed in 2008's Punisher: War Zone by the late Ray Stevenson.

Possibly the most famous or infamous Frank (depending on who you ask) is Tim Curry's Dr. Frank N. Furter from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Curry's unforgettable performance has ensured the film remains a cult classic for the ages, and his career will likely be defined by the role despite his extensive list of credits.

Finally, delving into comedy, there's Will Ferrell's Frank “The Tank” Richard, a man who falls back into old habits when his buddy moves into a house on a college campus. Frank goes from being a respectable white-collar fellow to a degenerate drinker and partier who finds himself streaking solo as he runs down the street.

Technically, Sean Astin's character in The Lord of the Rings trilogy is named Samwise, but throughout the films, Frodo (and everyone else) calls him “Sam,” and that's how he's best known. Granted, most folks called “Sam” are named Samuel, but this article is more about what a person is called than anything else. Sam is Frodo Baggin's greatest friend and ally who helps him take the One Ring to Mordor, saving the world from Sauron's tyranny – he's a true hero.

Another important Sam in cinema is Sam Wilson, otherwise known as the Falcon of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Anthony Mackie plays him throughout the MCU, and after a little bit of rebellion via Captain America in Civil War, he becomes an Avenger and helps save the entire universe by fighting against Thanos and his army in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. In the latter, Sam shows up first to back up his friend on the battlefield when all hope seems lost.

Another Sam many can't help but love is Patrick Swayze's Sam Wheat from the 1990 fantasy romance Ghost. In the film, Sam is killed during a botched robbery, and instead of going into the light, he remains behind out of love and devotion to Molly (Demi Moore). He learns to manipulate the world around him and ultimately solves his own murder.

Frank Herbert's Dune has been made into several feature films and one television miniseries since the book was written in 1965. Initially, Paul Atreides was played by Kyle MacLachlan. The miniseries for the Sci-Fi Channel featured Alec Newman in the role, and Timothée Chalamet took over for the two-part feature film directed by Denis Villeneuve. Paul is a prophesied savior and prince-turned-in-exile of House Atreides, the first Kwisatz Haderach.

Another significant cinematic Paul is Paul Blart, played by Kevin James in two films: Paul Blart: Mall Cop and Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2. James carries both films as a man who wanted to work as a state trooper but never made it, so he works as a mall security officer. He's thrust into adventure in both films, proving his worth, and he saves the day.

Tom Hanks has played a lot of great characters over the years, and one of his most heartfelt (that isn't Forrest Gump) is Paul Edgecomb from The Green Mile. In the film, Paul is first played by Dabbs Greer as he recounts his youth while living in an assisted living facility. Hanks picks up the role in the past when the plot moves to Louisiana circa 1935. Edgecomb is the head guard at the death row cellblock at Cold Mountain Penitentiary. He finds himself guarding/caring for John Coffey, a man with the amazing ability to heal anyone of whatever ails them, and it's Paul's job to execute him.

There have been many Davids throughout film history, including David Levinson, one of the primary heroes of the Independence Day franchise. Jeff Goldblum plays him in both films, and in the first, he's the only one to detect the signal counting down to the aliens' initial strike.

Matthew McConaughey has had a long and impressive career, playing numerous characters from many popular films. His breakout role as David Wooderson came via 1993's Dazed and Confused. That's the film where McConaughey coined his long-repeated catchphrase, “Alright, alright, alright.” McCaughaney came up with the line, which wasn't in the script because he got into his character's head, and came up with the following:

I get in the car, and I'm like, I'm nervous. First scene ever on film, and right before we're about to shoot, I've got friends in the car; I'm going – I've been listening to this live Doors album, and in between two of the songs, Morrison goes, ‘Alright, alright, alright, alright.’ Right, four. So right before we're about to go, I'm like, what is Wooderson about, and I go, he's about four things: he's about, you know, his car, getting high, he's about rock and roll, and pickin' up chicks, and I go, I'm in my car, I'm high as a kite, I'm listening to rock and roll - ACTION - and there's the chick: ‘Alright, alright, alright – three out of four.’

Occasionally, there will be a David without a last name – because he's an android. This was true of Haley Joel Osmet's character in A.I.: Artificial Intelligence and Michael Fassbender's character in Prometheus and its sequel, Alien: Covenant. In the films, David is a David model android built by Peter Weyland. David is an antagonist who purposefully infects his crew with early Xenomorph parasites, and he commits genocide in the second film, so he's not as pleasant as Osmet's character.