deadname
Last updatedWhat to know
The term deadname refers to the birth name of a trans or nonbinary person who changed their name after they came out. It’s referred to as a “deadname” because the name is, in effect, dead to that person. Using someone’s deadname (deadnaming them) is inaccurate and invalidates who they are.
When referring to someone before they came out who has since changed their name, using their current pronouns and providing context will help identify the person to your readers without deadnaming them (e.g., “Elliot Page, who played the character Juno in the hit movie of the same name, appeared on the cover of Time magazine”).
Using language like “Before she became a woman” suggests that a person changed their gender, versus coming out as the gender they always were. Phrasing like “Before [he, she, they, etc.] came out” is more accurate. In general, unnecessary focus on someone’s gender identity, transition, or deadname can have a fetishizing or dehumanizing effect.
For trans or nonbinary people, changing their birth name can be a tremendously empowering and affirmative experience, another step toward living fully in their true gender. Deadnaming often invalidates people’s identities and can trigger anxiety and/or painful memories from someone’s gender journey. Deadnaming someone in public spaces can also put them at risk of harassment and violence.
Additional resources
- A transgender person’s deadname is nobody’s business. Not even a reporter’s. (NBC News)
- Deadnaming: What Is It and Why Is It Harmful? (Healthline)
- What Is a Deadname? Talking respectfully with and about trans people (Medium)
Summary
The term deadname refers to the birth name of a trans or nonbinary person who changed their name after they came out. Using someone’s deadname (deadnaming them) is inaccurate and invalidates who they are. Using language like “Before she became a woman” suggests that a person changed their gender versus coming out as the gender they always were. Phrasing like “Before [he, she, they, etc.] came out” is more accurate. In general, unnecessary focus on someone’s gender identity, transition, or deadname can have a fetishizing or dehumanizing effect.