A John Doe has surfaced in Manhattan, and he's not a protected witness, an unidentified corpse or a celebrity checking into a seedy hotel. He's a 40-year-old computer programmer who lives on the Upper West Side.

John Doe, who came to the United States from Korea over 30 years ago, was born Jang Do but decided to change his name to be more American. Not knowing the history of the John Doe moniker, he legally switched his first name to John at age 11. Then, fearing mispronunciation of the surname "Do" by classmates, he convinced his parents to change their last name to Doe.

The name has caused him headaches ever since. John Doe is routinely stopped by airport security and questioned by landlords. "I say my name is John Doe and they say, 'No, what's your real name?' and I pull out my ID," he said.

Dating also presents a problem for Doe, whose prospective romantic partners sometimes think he's hiding a sordid past. He jokes that the only woman he'll be able to marry is a Jane Doe.

"Can you imagine our signing in at a hotel as John and Jane Doe? 'Yeah, buddy.'" Still, he says, he has no regrets about changing his name to John Doe.

What are some better names he could have used? Tell us what John Q. Public thinks.

From the web:
6 Things That Shouldn't Explode, But Did. (Cracked)
How 5 Famous Mobsters Met Their Maker. (Neatorama)
The World's Most Mysterious Monuments. (Weburbanist)