The central character’s surname in House M.D. is House.
Gregory House is the series’ lead character and heads the Diagnostic Medicine department at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Hugh Laurie portrays him as a brilliant physician whose expertise is matched by his abrasive manner, dependence on pain medication, and willingness to challenge hospital rules. His surname is also central to the show’s title.
House’s characterization draws heavily on Sherlock Holmes. Both figures rely on observation, logic, and unconventional deductions, and both often isolate themselves from ordinary social expectations. The show adapts those detective traits into medical diagnosis, making each patient case function like a mystery with symptoms as clues.
The name can be confused with the title of the series, but the title refers to the character’s surname rather than the hospital or a medical specialty. Gregory is his given name, while House is the single canonical surname used by the program and its characters.