In the original Sherlock Holmes stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes does not have any nicknames used by other characters. He is almost exclusively referred to by his full name, "Sherlock Holmes," or simply "Holmes." [1] Even his brother Mycroft and his closest companion Dr. Watson refer to him only by these formal designations, never progressing to a first-name basis despite their years of living together. This formal mode of address reflects the Victorian era's social conventions and emphasizes Holmes's clinical, detached personality.

While Watson uses various descriptive epithets and titles to characterize Holmes—such as "the great detective," "the consulting detective" (a term Holmes himself coined to describe his unique profession), and "the best and wisest man"—these are descriptive phrases rather than nicknames in the traditional sense. [1] In the criminal underworld, Holmes is spoken of with a mix of fear and respect, but again without any specific nickname. Even Irene Adler, the one woman who captured Holmes's admiration, referred to him only as "the celebrated Mr. Sherlock Holmes" or "the detective."

It is important to distinguish the original canon from modern adaptations. Contemporary versions, such as the BBC series Sherlock, have introduced casual nicknames and first-name usage that are entirely absent from Conan Doyle's Victorian source material. The absence of nicknames in the books is a deliberate stylistic choice that underscores Holmes's role as a thinking machine and his somewhat detached relationship with those around him, even Watson.