I while ago I looked into the close up of Columbo’s driver’s license (also shown in this forum) and after clarifying the picture, it appears to say, “Frank.” Just a thought, but I think the writers were also having a bit of a joke with that, because in several episodes (especially the earlier ones), Peter Faulk says the line, “Let me be Frank.” So I always assume that (informally) that was his first name.

I also happen to have that trivial pursuit game and I never understood how it could ever be Philip. :)

I’m not very active on this forum, but I probably put on N old Columbo episode about once a week while I clean.

what episode was that where it shows his drivers license? I'm thinking Negative Reaction?

I'm not sure which episode it is, but indeed I remember reading about an episode where it shows his driver's license, I'm sure on columbophile website there's an article talking about columbo's first name and about that scene in that episode.

Also there's an episode, undercover, where he says his real name is Lieutenant! He does that when Geraldine Ferguson asks him, their last conversation before she's mudered.

There are more than one episode where viewers can see his i.d. with the name Frank, and at least one with Frank Columbo on an evidence bag (the later military camp episode), none of those needed to be from a viewpoint where viewers can see his name. Levinson and Link said that he had no first name but it seems like they deliberately wanted his name to be revealed as Frank, but not admit that they had changed their minds?

Yes if you have a keen eye you will find clues. But the resolution when I created the site in 1994 was terrible. I had to take video screen shots for the episodes and they were grainy. I think they are cool now. but with 2k and 4K and HD you can zoom in, and get the details we could not get in those years. Shame! as columbo is a part of the past a time that is long gone. we had fax machines and no internet. episodes were not solved by AI. ha ha!

Just good old fashioned clues.

His first name was always meant to be an "inside" thing. I had talkes with Peter about it via letters, yes Postal letters. He did not like email or Tech.
Steve