deadname

/ˈdɛd.neɪm/

deadname noun: a previous name of a person (especially a transgender person) who has since changed their name.

Noun

deadname (plural deadnames)

(neologism, especially LGBTQ) A previous name of a person (especially a transgender person) who has since changed their name.
- And when people constantly refer to you as your deadname [a name that you previously went by], or use the incorrect pronouns, it really is like getting slapped with a wet fish.2014, Natalia Moorin, “My Illness Is Not Your Inspiration”, in Damsel, University of Western Australia, page 21
- One of the articles in our last issue contained a major error: we referred to a transgender student by their deadname.2018 February 27, Amy O'Kruk, “Apology to readers”, in Western Gazette, Western University, page 2

deadname (third-person singular simple present deadnames, present participle deadnaming, simple past and past participle deadnamed)

(transitive) To refer to someone (especially a transgender person) who has changed names by their previous name.
- Using trans peoples' dead names – names that they were born with which are either wrong through either legal or preferential means – has been and always will be an act of aggression, not just to the person you're deadnaming but to all trans people.2015 June 17, Luca Kuchinka, “Caitlyn's story inspiring, spotlight should be shared”, in Estevan Mercury, page A7
- "Right now, it's unclear whether they are choosing to deadname me maliciously, or just can't be bothered to accommodate trans students in the way we require them to," he said.2018, Alex, quoted in Sylvie Woods, "Students pay the price for 'tired' administration", Honi Soit (University of Sydney), Volume 90, Week 9 (2018), page 12

“My deadname is everywhere because of my ID card, and not only do I have to look at it but lots of other people get to see. […]2018, Alex McFadden, quoted in Noni Cole & Ruby Perryman, "The Unfair University ID Card", Farrago (University of Melbourne), Edition Three...
Felix's dad deadnames him despite supporting his top surgery and hormone therapy, and he hates his mom for leaving when he was 10.2020 May 1, Kirkus Reviews, page 130:

Noun
plural	deadnames
alternative form	dead name
alternative form	dead-name
Verb
third-person singular present	deadnames
present participle	deadnaming
past participle	deadnamed
past	deadnamed

From dead + name, because the old name is dead (“no longer used”). Attested since at least 2010 as a noun and 2013 as a verb by the OED.

37 more rhymesFewer rhymes

What does deadname mean?: Deadname means a previous name of a person (especially a transgender person) who has since changed their name.
What is deadname in Tamil?: Deadname in Tamil is வழங்கப்பட்ட பெயர் (vaḻaṅkappaṭṭa peyar). See Deadname meaning in Tamil.
How do you use deadname in a sentence?: “My deadname is everywhere because of my ID card, and not only do I have to look at it but lots of other people get to see. […]
What part of speech is deadname?: Deadname can be a noun or a verb.
How do you pronounce deadname?: Deadname is pronounced /ˈdɛd.neɪm/.
What is the plural of deadname?: The plural of deadname is deadnames.

Adapted from Wiktionary: deadname (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-deadname.wav.

Cite this entry: “deadname.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/deadname. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.