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Harold Finch often uses an alias when investigating a person or a location.

While his true birth name is unknown, he commonly uses Harold as a first name and frequently uses the common name of a bird species as his surname. His earliest records (“Wolf and Cub”) list him as Harold Wren, which is also the name known to his best friend Nathan Ingram. Reese, Fusco, Carter, Alicia Corwin, Leon Tao, and Sameen Shaw know him as Harold Finch.

So far, all of Finch's bird aliases are from birds which are present in North America, either as native species (e.g Winter Wren, Sandhill Crane, American Black Swift) or as introduced species (European Starling, Gray Partridge).

Image Episode Name Occupation
1x02 - Arthur Bellenger Ghosts Arthur Bellenger Insurance agent
Acts as an insurance agent of Liberty State Mutual to talk to Theresa Whitaker's aunt in order to find out more about her disappearance.
1x04 - Norman Burdett Mission Creep
Cura Te Ipsum
Norman Burdett Paralegal
Works at Marmostein Ribner. He gives this name to the police when they interview him about the evidence locker robbery he witnessed when he went there to warn Reese about being set up. (“Mission Creep”) He also meets Carter for the first time face to face under this name.
1x05 - Walt Trowbridge Judgment Walt Trowbridge IT technician
Poses as IT staff at OneState Bank who checks account data after the bank's database was allegedly hacked.
1x06 - Mr. Partridge The Fix Mr. Partridge Investor
Uses this alias to meet with Mark Lawson of Virtanen Pharmaceuticals to talk about his recent investments in the company and to plant a bug in their office.
1x10 - Thomas Paine Number Crunch Thomas Paine Blogger
Uses this alias to confront Jim Hallen about the Cayman charities and the money that has been embezzled by Hallen and Davis Bannerman.
1x11 - DFS technician Legacy N/A DFS tech support
Gains access to the office to alter the function of the office's shredder so that it scans documents instead of destroying them allowing him to get proof of suspected misconduct.
1x14 - Insurance Wren Wolf and Cub
Shadow Box
Liberty
The Perfect Mark
The Devil's Share
Provenance
Harold Wren Insurance underwriter
Finch has been using this alias since 1976 (“Wolf and Cub”) when he studied at MIT. He is currently working under this name at Universal Heritage Insurance. Nathan Ingram and his son both know Finch under this alias.
Finch also uses this name to check Root into a psychiatric hospital, posing as her uncle. (“Liberty”)
Finch poses as the patient of Hayden Price to learn more about him.
1x16 - Harold Crane

2x07 - title card

Risk
Triggerman
Critical
Til Death
Harold Crane Investor, donor, assistant surgeon
First used when Finch posed as a secret investor to help Adam Saunders get back the money he lost by initiating a buying frenzy at Baylor Zimm.
Finch uses this alias again when he visits Elias in prison to ask for his help in calling off the hit on Riley Cavanaugh.
When Dr. Madeleine Enright's number came up, Finch used the alias to gain access to the hospital where she worked and also helped her to save a patient's life.
When the Machine produced Daniel and Sabrina Drake's numbers, Finch used the alias under the guise of investing in a new imprint and sent Reese posing as his employee to keep an eye on the couple in their publishing company.
1x16 - SEC investigator Risk N/A SEC investigator
Talks to Adam Saunders' uncle about his investments in a company called Tritek.
1x17 - Dr. Tillman Baby Blue Dr. Tillman Pediatrician
Uses the name of a former person of interest as an alias to gain access to Leila Smith, a new PoI at St. Raymond's Clinic. Eventually he takes the baby and protects it from being abducted.
1x17 - Lucas Bennett Baby Blue Lucas Bennett DFS agent
Poses as an employee of the Department of Family Services to talk to the grandparents of Leila Smith and to find out more about her mother.
1x18 - Harold Crow Identity Crisis Harold Crow Private investigator
Approaches the female Jordan Hester under this alias because he thinks that she might be in danger because someone who stole her identity. He tells her that he had been hired by another victim of identity theft.
1x22 - Delivery man No Good Deed N/A Delivery Man
Delivers a bugged coffeemaker to Henry Peck's office in order to monitor his activities in the office.
2x06 - Harold the technician The High Road Harold Technician
Works for John Campbell's private security systems company and installs a camera on Graham Wyler's house.
2x11 - Mr. Swift 2πR Harold Swift High School teacher
Goes undercover as a math teacher in a school in Brooklyn to keep an eye on Caleb Phipps.
2x15 - Harold the concierge Booked Solid Harold Concierge
Started to work as concierge at the Coronet Hotel when one of their maids' number came up.
Harold Gull Proteus Harold Gull Storm chaser
Has been a certified member of the National Storm Chasers and Spotters Association for over ten years. He also has a pilot's license.
2x18 - Harold Quail All In Harold Quail IRS Agent
Uses this alias when Lou Mitchell realizes that he is being followed.
Vlcsnap-2013-05-03-17h23m50s50 Trojan Horse Harold Starling IT Guy
Is an IT guy at Rylatech, a technology firm plagued by espionage.
POI 0318 Finch Allegiance Mr. Kingfisher Lawyer
Is a lawyer trying to help Omar Risha.
POI 0321 Grace5 Beta”, “Karma Harold Martin Freelance Software Engineer, Docent
Finch had been using this alias during his entire relationship with his fiancee Grace Hendricks. This alias is only actually confirmed when Grace was standing at his funeral after he faked his death (“Beta”)
POI 0401 Harold Whistler cropped Season 4 Harold Whistler Professor
Harold, along with the team, was forced to take on a new identity to hide from Samaritan.
4x03 - Mr Egret Wingman Mr. Egret Professor
Famed terrorist leader who wants to buy a missile.
4x05 - Harold Cardinal Prophets Harold Cardinal Reporter
Finch poses as a New York Journal reporter to confront Simon Lee about his suspicions of a government conspiracy.
POI 0422 Harold Admin YHWH Harold Admin Package Recipient
The Machine has 15 laptops shipped to this name.
5x06 - Harold as Uncle Ralph
5x06 - ID of real Ralph
A More Perfect Union Ralph O'Brien Groom's uncle
Harold assumed the identity of the Irishman Ralph O'Brien, an estranged uncle of Will, the groom of the wedding number the Machine had given him and Reese, in order to get an invitation. He paid the real Ralph 500€ to ensure that he would not come. Due to not having seen his uncle in a while and Finch's impression of him, Will did not suspect that he was an imposter and even immediately assumed that he was Ralph.
POI 0511 Harold Osprey Synecdoche Harold Osprey Kentucky citizen
An alias he used to avoid suspicion for driving a car (that matches one reported stolen) without plates and a license. The Machine was able to quickly add him to the Kentucky Police database.
5x12 Barnett .exe Mr. Barnett Chauffeur (possibly)
An alias Harold used to charter a private plane to D.C., and is possibly the same identity he used to kidnap Emile Bertrand.
POI 0512 Harold as Emile Bertrand
POI 0512 Emile Bertrand
.exe Emile Bertrand NATO Defense Minister of Intelligence
An identity Harold took, after tranquilizing the real Emile, to infiltrate Fort Meade. Finch chose him because they were the same height, hair, and eye color and hoped it would be enough to resemble Emile's passport photo, though the Machine momentarily changed the existing digital records for Bertrand to more exactly match Finch's appearance and distracted the guard checking the passport.

Notes[]

  • While discussing Harold's engagement with Grace Hendricks, Nathan Ingram suggests "Mr. Ostrich" as another possible bird-themed alias. (“Zero Day”)
  • Finch used the alias "Mr. Swan" to give a false tip to the NYPD about an illegal gambling ring. (“Reasonable Doubt”)
  • Lethe” and “Aletheia” include a series of flashbacks that cover Harold's relationship with his father, and the progression of his father's early onset Alzheimer's disease as Harold's motivation to build memory systems. They also explain Harold's use of bird names: in two scenes we see Harold and his father identifying birds, an ability his father loses as his disease progresses.
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