In Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories, Dr. Watson’s first name is John.
The character is introduced as John H. Watson, a former army doctor who becomes Holmes’s friend, flatmate and chronicler. Watson’s medical training and military experience help him serve as a practical counterpoint to Holmes’s highly specialized detective reasoning.
Doyle generally presents Watson as the narrator of the stories, although the exact form of his middle initial has varied in reference works and adaptations. The familiar address “Dr. Watson” therefore usually points to John Watson, not to a separate character.
The character has appeared in novels, short stories, films, television series and stage productions. Some adaptations alter his biography, but his first name remains John. Readers sometimes confuse the character with actors who have played him, including Nigel Bruce, David Burke, Martin Freeman and Jude Law.