Neil Flynn’s Scrubs character is essentially nameless throughout most of the show’s run, but referring to him simply as the Janitor may not be the most accurate way of addressing him. Although Flynn does appear in all nine seasons of Scrubs, his lone episode during the Med School era is restricted to a very short scene that explains his absence. Before Scrubs season 9, the Janitor was a member of the main cast, as well as one of the funniest and most irreverent characters the show had to offer.

Initially, the Janitor was intended to be a figment of JD’s imagination. As such, Zach Braff is the only character who interacts with the Janitor in Scrubs season 1. Flynn’s character was so well-received that he was upgraded to a real person from Scrubs season 2 onward. However, the enigma of who the Janitor was never completely disappeared. Although certain details about his life did come into focus as the show progressed, the Janitor lied a lot. As one of the byproducts of his compulsive dishonesty, every doctor in Scrubs was left unsure of what to call him.

The Janitor’s Real Name Is One Of The Biggest Mysteries Of Scrubs Seasons 1-8

No one knew what to call the Janitor beyond referring to his job at Sacred Heart

Scrubs had several subplots that were softly explored throughout its run, but many were resolved before the end of the show’s most successful era so that Scrubs season 9 could be its own entity. As well as the mystery of what Dr. Mickhead did to his wife, whether Hooch was actually crazy, and other enigmas, the Janitor’s real name was one of the biggest questions. There are several clues and even the implication of an absolute giveaway, but the character’s reputation makes everything he says very difficult to believe.

Most of the time, not knowing the Jantior’s name didn’t create any story issues. Instead, it was just a nagging loose end of which the show was brilliantly aware. Beyond the odd tease and vague clue, Scrubs seasons 1-8 largely avoided addressing the Janitor’s name. Flynn’s character perpetuates the mystery himself by dropping intentionally misleading clues and hints that ultimately lead nowhere, but are still very on-brand for the Janitor.

The Janitor’s Role In 1993’s The Fugitive Suggests His Real Name Is Neil Flynn

JD spots the Janitor in a Hollywood movie in Scrubs season 3

Solid pieces of evidence to reveal the Janitor’s real name are hard to come by. That being said, there is one solid way of at least approaching the truth, and it’s in Scrubs season 3, episode 8, “My Friend the Doctor.” In the installment, Zach Braff’s Dr. John “JD” Dorian spots a man who looks exactly like his nemesis in 1993’s The Fugitive. Flynn does genuinely have a role in the movie as a cop, so his character in the movie is canonically played by a man named Neil Flynn. Therefore, by extension, this should be the Janitor’s name.

The implication here would be that every role played by Neil Flynn in the world of
Scrubs
is the Janitor using an alias.

If the Janitor isn’t really called Neil Flynn, the alternative arguably opens up an incredibly meta can of worms. The other option is that Neil Flynn is simply the Janitor’s screen name, which he used while shooting The Fugitive. However, the implication here would be that every role played by Neil Flynn in the world of Scrubs is the Janitor using an alias. For instance, it could be argued that the Janitor played Mike Heck in all nine seasons of The Middle. Realistically, this probably isn’t the case, but as an in-universe explanation, it makes a bit too much sense.

The Janitor’s Name Tag Is Of No Use To JD’s Investigation

Neil Flynn’s character has false information on his Sacred Heart ID

Every Sacred Heart employee wears a name tag. This isn’t just limited to the hospital’s medical personnel, and this is proven by Flynn’s character also wearing one throughout the show. Therefore, the most direct route to the Janitor’s real name should surely be to read the badge on his chest. JD takes a long time to think of this solution, but even when he does, it reveals no information.

Flynn’s character wears a name tag that simply says, “Janitor.” So, JD’s bright idea comes to nothing. It’s humorous to think that the Janitor printed this badge especially to mess with Braff’s character, but this is never confirmed or denied. Regardless, as an official hospital employee, Sacred Heart surely has the Janitor’s true name on file somewhere for purposes such as paying him.

Scrubs Gives Neil Flynn’s Character 2 Hilariously Lazy Aliases

Even the Janitor himself seemed to tire of not being addressed by his real name, even if he generally enjoyed keeping the secret. For instance, while engaging in the morally bankrupt act of impersonating a doctor, the Janitor often adopted the alias, “Dr. Ján ïtor.” Pronounced differently enough, it kind of almost sounded like a real name, but it’s still very obvious he has simply split up the word Janitor.

The Janitor also masquerades as Dr. Elliot Reid when a sexist patient refuses to be treated by a female physician.

Additionally, when JD sees the username “Rotinaj” on the hospital website, he quickly works out it is just “Janitor” spelled backwards. Although JD’s hunch that the username in question belongs to the Janitor does turn out to be true, Flynn’s character has the funny advantage of an actual doctor named Dr. Rotinaj working at the hospital. So, although it’s never officially confirmed that Rotinaj is the Janitor, it’s pretty easy to work out from other context clues.

Showrunner Bill Lawrence Has Confirmed The Janitor Finally Told JD His Real Name

Lawrence took to social media to settle the debate

Before JD leaves Sacred Heart behind in Scrubs season 8’s “My Finale” two-parter, he finally asks the Janitor directly what to call him. Straight away, the Janitor tells JD his name is Glenn Matthews, also stating that JD had never actually asked him. Although it initially feels like a huge reveal, a passing orderly goes by after JD leaves and says “Hey, Tommy” to Flynn’s character. The Janitor’s response without correcting the man greeting him suggests he has just told JD yet another lie, but Scrubs showrunner Bill Lawrence has since confirmed the Janitor was telling the truth.

Lawrence’s Tweet wasn’t posted until a year after “My Finale,” so there was still intense speculation for months after the Janitor’s big moment. As the show’s creator and showrunner, it’s tough to argue with Lawrence’s confirmation of the Janitor’s real name, but it’s also fun to imagine that he is adding to the ruse upheld by his character for so long. Either way, it’s still a shame that the Janitor’s name was ever uttered, as it feels like one of those legendary mysteries that Scrubs should never have solved.

The Scrubs revival could realistically be very unusual thanks to this moment. With JD and the Janitor reunited for the first time since “My Finale,” Braff’s character could find himself referring to Flynn’s character as Glenn, which would be all kinds of weird. Hopefully, JD either forgets the Janitor’s real name or at least refuses to call him anything other than “Janitor” in Scrubs season 10.