The surname of House M.D.’s leading character, Gregory, is House.
Gregory House is the diagnostician at the center of the series, played by Hugh Laurie. His surname also supplies the show’s title, making the character’s identity unusually prominent in the program’s branding and dialogue.
House is portrayed as exceptionally perceptive and medically inventive, but he is also abrasive, sarcastic, and resistant to institutional rules. He walks with a cane because of chronic pain in his right leg and relies on Vicodin for much of the series, creating an ongoing conflict between his medical brilliance and self-destructive behavior.
The character’s name is sometimes discussed alongside Sherlock Holmes. The series deliberately uses parallels between House and Holmes, including their deductive reasoning, social isolation, musical ability, and relationship with a close friend. However, House remains a doctor in a modern teaching hospital, and the show’s stories are built around medical diagnosis rather than criminal investigation.