deadname

American  

[ded-neym] / ˈdɛdˌneɪm /

Or dead name

noun

1. the previous name of someone who has changed that name, especially the pretransition first name of a trans person.

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verb (used with object)

deadnamed, deadnaming

1. to call (a person, especially a trans person) by that person’s previous name, as opposed to a chosen or preferred name.

Etymology

Origin of deadname

First recorded in 2010–15

Example Sentences

Childrey, who legally changed her name in 2020, said she would have provided her deadname if she had known about the law.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 17, 2024

“Being a trans person, it’s sort of hard to see your deadname all around and people can sort of easily find this information,” she said.

From Washington Post • Oct. 14, 2022

But Loewen, now 40, said her mother has come far in a short time, switching from using her deadname to “Elle,” a short version of her new middle name.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2022

“One of my friends, who is trans, had their deadname on their ID and we thought that was kind of unfair because everyone was calling them by their deadname,” the student said.

From Washington Times • Dec. 13, 2021

In 2018, she created an installation that functioned as a funeral for her deadname, complete with a grass lawn and an engraved headstone.

From New York Times • Aug. 18, 2021