Green’s Dictionary of Slang

John Brown n.

also John Esquire, ...Handle, ...Q, ...Rogers, ...Smith, ...Willy
[all vars. on John Hancock n.]

(US) one’s signature.

[US]in DARE n.p.: Joking words . . for a name signed to a paper: ‘I’ll put my on that.’) [...] John Esquire [...] John Handle [...] John Rogers [...] John Smith [...] John Willy [...] John Brown.
[US]J. Stahl I, Fatty 138: Before the guy even gets my John Q and turns away, Daddy shakes his head and says [etc.].