But Michael...Michael....Michael....the actual CREATORS of Columbo did not give him a first name. They, in a sense, gave birth to him. They named him. They christened him Columbo...not Frank Columbo, or Phillip Columbo or Vito Columbo, or Ricky or Lou Tenant Columbo (sorry Headache!)
It is the same as an author of a book who has a character who goes only by their last name. How, as readers, can we assume that the character's name is this or that.....we can't...because the author never told us. They created the charater, and if they chose not to give them a first name...then we must deal with it.
I guess we all have our own conceptions and thoughts on this topic. Heaven knows it comes up enough. And even though it gets tiresome sometimes, I secretly enjoy seeing it pop up over and over again. It always brings on some really cool discussion.

Oh....by the way...........his first name is really Carlo...named after my grandfather, who I am named after!!!

Sorry Cass, a few days late...

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Somewhere in the archive part of this site (where's ted?) it says that the creators (parents if you like) never gave columbo a first name. Therefore regardless of whether it came from billy the man who made the prop cop badge or that guy who made up a quiz and jokingly gave Columbo a first name to see if anyone faked their own edition, its immaterial. Columbo has never had a first name tho for some reason this is deemed as unacceptable and it must exist. Simply put, he doesnt. Never has, never will. Therefore as far i am am concerned you can call him anything you want, im sure many of the killers, people he spoke too did, tho off camera lol.

God bless,

Matthew

I knew you would pop in sooner or later Paul!!!

Maybe the prop guys asked Peter what he wanter to be called and he decided on Frank.