" Thus the RSA paper marks the first appearance of a fictional “Bob” who wants to send a message to “Alice.” As trivial as this sounds, these names actually became a de facto standard in future papers outlining cryptologic advances, and the cast of characters in such previously depopulated mathematical papers would eventually be widened to include an eavesdropper dubbed Eve and a host of supporting actors including Carol, Trent, Wiry, and Dave. "

― Steven Levy , Crypto: How the Code Rebels Beat the Government—Saving Privacy in the Digital Age