->''"'Sabertooth'? 'Storm'. 'Cyclops'. And what do they call you? 'Wheels'? [[AudienceSurrogate This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard]]."''
-->-- '''Wolverine''', ''Film/XMen1''

In order to protect a SecretIdentity, or just to make identifying a person easier over a static-y radio, a SuperHero, International Spy or even AcePilot will have a CodeName. In the case of a SuperHero, this ''nom de guerre'' will be indicative of their powers, origin, or national affiliation. International spies and {{Ace Pilot}}s will more frequently have a randomly assigned CodeName (and in comedies, silly ones at that). Often, the CodeName is so descriptive as to defeat the very purpose of not using your real name, since [[AnimalStereotypes Iron Bear]] really could only be [[TheBigGuy one guy]].

A common way of parodying it is a character with a stupid or silly codename who complains that, when the time came to choose theirs, all the good ones were taken. Frequently they claim it was a choice between their current codename or something far worse.

'''Common code name styles include:'''
* Simple [[YouAreNumberSix alphanumeric designations]], such as Agent 86 of ''Series/GetSmart'', M of the ''JamesBond'' franchise, not to mention 007 himself.
* Descriptive pseudonyms, ''a la'' Cyclops of ''Comicbook/{{X-Men}}'', Cyborg of the ''ComicBook/TeenTitans''.
* Nicknames in more-or-less poetic periphrases, such as the Sewing Life Alchemist (Shou Tucker) of ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', or Black Canary of TheDCU.

The TokenMinority may fall victim to a having a CaptainEthnic CodeName; for decades, almost all black superheroes had names with the word "Black" somewhere in them.

Military ranks, noble titles and other honorifics are occasionally incorporated into a CodeName, as is the case in CaptainAmerica and DoctorFate. Closely related to NomDeGuerre, which would be when they use the name all the time, and not just "out in public". ReportingNames are essentially Code Names for enemy equipment, especially when the real name is unknown or impossible to pronounce in your own language.
----
!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* Pretty much every Contractor and Doll in ''DarkerThanBlack'' is like this, with code names ranging from Chinese color and descriptive names for the main characters (Hei, Yin, and Mao) to month-based ones for the team of British agents (November 11, April, and July), to descriptive nicknames (A portly female contractor who has weaponized screaming is called Bertha). There's also a {{Woolseyism}} in the dub, as April refers to November 11 as "one-one", underscoring his JamesBond similarities (i.e. he's Agent 1-1-1)
* All the state alchemists in ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' have code names... which may function more like titles, since any random person off the street seems to know, say, that the Fullmetal Alchemist is Edward Elric.
** Except when they think it's [[AnimatedArmor Alphonse]].
** [[ColonelBadass Colonel Mustang]] gives his (male) subordinates women's names when on the phone. He's shown having flirty phone calls with the only actual female in the group, who uses an alias, and they use women's names to refer to the male operatives as though she's a shopkeeper and the men are women who work for her. It's such an effective way of encoding the messages that the office workers simply think [[UrbanLegendLoveLife he spends all day flirting]].
* In ''Manga/AxisPowersHetalia'', some of the characters have human names. However, these were the creator bending to fan insistence, rather than that he actually wanted to include them (which is displayed in that not only are the names picked with little care, but that they never appear in the series and were deleted from the author's blog).
* In ''{{Cyborg 009}}'', the nine Cyborgs are given codenames when transformed into living weapons.
* The Baroque Works conspiracy in ''Manga/OnePiece'' deployed its agents in man-woman teams, with the men codenamed "Mister [[NumericalThemeNaming $NUMBER]]" and the women called "Miss [[TemporalThemeNaming $DAY_REFERENCE]]". The [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshifting]] [[VillainousCrossdresser crossdresser]] of the organization worked without a partner and used ''both'' naming schemes: "Mister 2 Bon Clay".
** There's also Sanji's Mr Prince.
* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00'', some members of Celestial Being have codenames. For example, Setsuna F. Seiei's real name is [[spoiler:Soran Ebrahim]]
** Not just some, most of them do, including the members only featured in the side-story materials.
** Heero Yuy of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' is also a code name; his real name is never revealed. He briefly borrows Duo Maxwell's name at one point, when his original code name would have attracted attention.
* L from ''Manga/DeathNote'' has a variety of codenames: L, Ryuuzaki, Ryuuga Hideki, Eraldo Coil, and Deneuve. [[spoiler:Although it turns out "L" is his ''actual first name''.]]
** The children at Wammy's House have got codenames too, such as Near, Matt and Mello. Older generations of Wammy's have had them too.
** L's regular foot soldiers all seem to use code names as well - specifically, Watari, Aiber and Wedy.
** The policemen in the task force are also assigned... well, not so much code names as garden-variety aliases; this is quietly dropped (with a brief resurgence when Matsuda finds himself in a room full of Kira conspirators), presumably because the main villain knows all their real names already, but deems them NotWorthKilling. (The SPK members, while certainly worth killing [[IncrediblyLamePun in Light's book]], use their aliases a lot more consistently.)
* In ''[[Anime/MobileFighterGGundam G Gundam]]'', the members of the original Shuffle Alliance are only referred to by their card-themed codenames (King of Hearts, Ace of Clubs, Queen of Spades, Jack of Diamonds and Black Joker, although the protagonist already owns the first title).
** The sidestory manga ''G Gundam: Fight 7th'' reveals their real names by showing them as [[NotSoDifferent Gundam Fighters representing Japan, America, China, France, and Russia]]. Yes, that means the manga gives a real name to [[CoolOldGuy Touhou Fuhai]] [[BadassGrandpa Master Asia]]. [[spoiler:It's Shuji Kurosu.]]
* In ''ProjectAKo'', Operative DC-138621-S113 goes by Codename "D".
* ''FushigiYuugi'' subverts, averts and plays the trope straight. Each Seishi is alternatively known by the [[StellarName constellation]] he or she is born under, and in some cases (particularly the Suzaku Seven), the Seishi's name fits his or her personality and powers precisely. However, the Seishi's code names can hardly be used to disguise them, seeing as all of them either know how to read kanji, have studied astronomy or both. In fact, their real names are hardly spoken among one another, and some of them go by their code names for most of their lives.
* The [[FourIsDeath four Warlords]] from ''RoninWarriors'' were given code names by [[BigBad Talpa]] that correspond with their armors. This is subverted in the [[DubNameChange dub]].
* In ''ToAruMajutsuNoIndex'', Accelerator is known only by this, as well as Last Order and Index. Sometimes Misaka is called Railgun like a code name, and Touma is called Imagine Breaker once or twice.
** From the same series many of the magicians (and those associated with the magic side in general) have a Sorcery Name. Index is ''Dedicatus 545'', Stiyl Magnus is ''Fortis 931'', Kanzaki Kaori is ''Salvare 000'' and [[spoiler: Tsuchimikado]] is ''Fallere 825''.
* ''DetectiveConan''. Members of the Black Organization are known by the names of alcoholic beverages: Gin, Vodka, Vermouth, Kir, Chianti, Korn, Bourbon, and so forth.
* The Kirihara Group of ''[[Anime/SoulTaker Soul Taker]]'' gives code names to all mutants except Runa. The titular character's code name, Soul Taker, is not his own creation but theirs.
* [[Anime/ReadOrDie Yomiko Readman]], [[PaperMaster The Paper]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* The comics from which the page quote movie is derived use this just as extensively, if not more.
* Before she became the superhero Ms. Marvel/Binary/Warhawk (she changes her superhero name almost as often as Hank Pym), [[MsMarvel Carol Danvers]] was a fighter pilot with the code name "Cheeseburger", because she'd vomited at one point after lunch. She specifically points out that you just don't get the awesome names outside of movies.
* ''GreenLantern''. Hal Jordan's call sign is "Highball". Jillian Pearlman's, a co-pilot, girlfriend and Star Sapphire, is "Cowgirl" because of her Texas accent.
* The teens in Marvel Comics' series ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'' initially had codenames, but they were abandoned after a while.
** Which makes perfect sense, since one would expect a bunch of kids to a) come up with 'cool" sounding code names for themselves and b) get bored with them fairly quickly.
* In ''ComicBook/OneHundredBullets'', every member of the Minutemen has one: the Wolf, the Dog, the Bastard, the Rain, the Point Man, the Monster, the Saint, the Boy, and the Girl.
* Except for Adam, the core cast of ''ComicBook/ClanDestine'' have these. Rory (The Crimson Crusader) and Pandora (Imp) picked theirs out when they started to play superhero; they decided to call Walter "Wallop" partly as a pun on his name and partly because it was a fair description of his powers. "Cuckoo" was Kay's family nickname, and "Hex" was Domenic's stage name when he worked as an EscapeArtist. (No explanation for Samantha's "Argent," although presumably it's a poetic description of her silvery armor.)
* In MarvelComics' NewUniverse the "ComicBook/{{DP7}}" group on the run from the sanatorium they were being held in tried using code names, but after they set them up nobody ever used them except "Skuzz," whose power was an acidic exudate coming out of his pours making anything he touches disintegrate in a few minutes. And that was his nickname ''before'' he got his powers.
* Crusader, a [[DefectorFromDecadence Skrull infiltrator who decided he like humans better than Skrulls and became a superhero]], went out of his way to chose a code name that describes ''nothing'' about his origin, personality, or especially powers. He advised Curtis Doyle, a rookie hero who'd picked up a "[[GreenLanternRing Cosmic Ring]]", to do the same. The kid [[WhatAnIdiot ignores the advice]] and calls himself Freedom Ring. [[spoiler:Freedom Ring later gets killed after [[TooDumbToLive specifically calling attention to the source of his powers]], leading to the villain of the story cutting off his finger to depower him.]]
* Played with in ''ComicBook/RedHoodAndTheOutLaws'': they have them, but generally use their real ones.
* ''PowerPack'' used them out in public. Originally, Alex was Gee, Jack was Mass Master,Julie was Lightspeed,and Katie was Energizer. Later, the powers changed kids after getting transferred to a Super-Snark for a time, Alex was Destroyer, Jack was Zero-G, Katie was Counterweight,and Julie was Molecula. [[FantasticFour Franklin Richards]] was Tattletale when he joined the group.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]
* In ''Film/XMenFirstClass'', the ridiculous codenames given to the characters which have nothing to do with anonymity (as demonstrated by them using them for each other in the most mundane of situations) that give rise to the page quote are explained as a result of precedent established by teenagers in over their heads in the CIA.
** Parodied relentlously in the Podcast/{{Rifftrax}} who suggested names after everything, such as "on-your-own-o", "you-should-go-o" and "kidnap-o". Adding "o" to the end of anything works as a CodeName.
* In ''Film/TopGun'', the various characters go by their callsigns most of the time, and those are the names most fans remember. After all, Maverick is just [[RuleOfCool cool]]. Pete Mitchell, not so much. And who would want to be Tom Kazansky or Mike Metcalf when they could be Iceman or Viper?
* In ''Film/HudsonHawk'', the {{CIA}} agents are called Snickers, Kit Kat, Butterfinger and Almond Joy. Butterfinger is fittingly clumsy.
-->'''Almond Joy''': Almond Joy. Get it? Candy bars. Well, it's better than when we first started out. Our code names were diseases. Do you know what it's like being called Chlamydia for a year?
* ''TheTakingOfPelhamOneTwoThree'' features crooks in a train heist who use color-themed codenames to protect their identities.
* ''Film/ReservoirDogs'' was probably inspired by ''Pelham'', using color-themed codenames for a group of crooks. The heist boss assigns them the names Mr. White, Mr. Blonde, Mr. Blue, Mr. Brown, Mr. Orange and Mr. Pink. The crook dubbed Mr. Pink tries to object, but the boss insists on picking the names himself. He mentions having allowed crooks on a past job to name themselves and it resulted in a fight over who got to be Mr. Black.
** When you think about it, each CodeName fits the character perfectly. Mr. White is the most moral of the group. Mr. Blonde is in it purely ForTheEvulz. Mr Orange has his outer layers peeled off throughout the film. Mr. Pink [[spoiler: survives the film by hiding, something considered effeminate.]] Mr. Blue [[spoiler: gets captured by the police, i.e. "The Boys in Blue."]] We don't really see much of Brown, though.
* Used cleverly in the ''Film/{{Clue}}'' movie. Since the boardgame characters name are reference to the color of their game piece, the film has the names being codenames so the people attending the dinner remain anonymous - Mr. Green, Prof. Plum, Colonel Mustard, Mrs. Scarlet, Mrs. Peacock, Mrs. White, [[spoiler:Wadsworth The Butler]]. It's not clear if Mr. Boddy or Yvette the FrenchMaid are a pseudonym. In a touch of irony, unlike the board game, none of the characters wear the color they represent in the game - Mrs. Scarlet and Mr. Green wear blue while Mrs White wears all black, Colonel Mustard and Prof Plum wear brown and Mrs Peacock wears gold.
* In ''Film/KillBill'', the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad has five members named after lethal snakes: Black Mamba, Copperhead, Cottonmouth, Sidewinder and California Mountain Snake. Bill himself is the Snake Charmer. Ironically, Vivica Fox's character escapes being the one called "Black Mamba", and then ''complains'' about it. The main character herself is called the Bride until the second film.
* The Zucker Brothers' film ''Film/TopSecret'' featured members of the French Resistance with a set of bizarre French code names - one group has French phrases for names, including Détente, Avant Garde and Déjà Vu, while another has food names, including Soufflé, Croissant, the TokenMinority character Chocolate Mousse, and the frequent AlmostDeadGuy Latrine.
** Also one is named Déjà Vu.
* In ''Film/SkyHigh'', students in the Sidekick program are not allowed to have code names. Upon graduation, they are paired with a hero who gives them a name and costume (presumably to avoid clashing). However, three students in the "Hero" program apparently have code names: Hothead (Warren Peace), Lash, and Speed (though these might have just been regular high school nicknames). Others in the "Hero" classes go by their names (Will, Gwen, & Penny).
* ''LaFemmeNikita'''s codename in both the movie and the TV show was "Josephine."
* All of the pilots in the various ''Film/HotShots'' movies have humorous call signs from the faintly ridiculous "Topper" Harley to the hilariously appropriate "Dead Meat" and "Washout" ("washout" being US military slang for someone who fails flight school).
** Not forgetting the enemy pilots' call signs in the first film all being types of food.
* Shown correctly in, of all things, ''[[Film/FlightOfTheIntruder Flight of the Intruder]]'', in which one new pilot is given the callsign "Razor" because he'd missed a bit while shaving the morning they were doling out names. Reverting back to trope, he later became Straight Razor "because you've become a real weapon, kid". Sheesh.
** In the book the movie was based on, Razor's callsign was because he was the only pilot in the squadron with a mustache. In the movie, the mustache was given to "Tiger" Cole.
* In ''RaisingArizona'', Gale snaps at Evelle for constantly dropping his name during a bank robbery. After an awkward pause, Evelle suggests that "Gale" is actually his code name, and Gale weakly tries to back up his ruse.
* In the page quote from ''[[Film/XMen1 X-Men]]'', Wolverine ridicules the fact that they have code names. Which is some HypocriticalHumor on his part, as he does too.
* "Eagle" and "Sparrow" are Clarisse and Mia's Code Names in ''ThePrincessDiaries''.
* No mention of ''Film/SmokeyAndTheBandit''? Back in the CB radio days everyone used some kind of appropriate code-name (referred to as their "handle"): Bandit, Frog, Grave Robber, Silver Tongued Devil, etc.
** Jerry Reed's character was Cletus Snow, known better by his handle, Snowman.
* ''Film/UndercoverBrother''. Undercover Brother, Smart Brother, Conspiracy Brother, Sistah Girl, The Man. "Mr. Feather" might be one.
* In FatherGoose, Commander Frank Houghton is Big Bad Wolf, Ensign Stebbings is Bo Peep, the base at Kingsport is Briar Patch, and Walter Eckland is Mother Goose.
* Colonel Stuart's henchmen in ''Film/DieHard2'' feature interesting code names.
** In the beginning, when the mercenaries Baker and Thompson kill the church custodian, a memorable line is what Thompson says into his radio right afterwards: "This is Buckwheat. The clubhouse is open."
** There's a deleted scene where O'Reilly (RobertPatrick) says, "[[Literature/AliceinWonderland This is Alice. We're down the rabbit hole]]."
** The three army leaders all have bird-themed codenames: Major Grant is "Hatchling", Colonel Stuart is "Eagle Nest," and General Esperanza is "Falcon".
* The code names for Pachycephalosaurus and Parasaurolophus are "Friar Tuck" and "Elvis" in ''TheLostWorldJurassicPark''.
* A fan theory about the Film/JamesBond films is that the name James Bond is an alias passed down from one agent to the next. This neatly justifies TheNthDoctor.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* Color code names are used by the criminals in ''The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3'': Mr. Blue, Mr. Gray, Mr. Brown and Mr. Green. (Note that in this case the color-coding is partially hidden by the fact that these four are also normal English/American last names.)
* The SeekersOfTruth use code names to identify themselves, to avoid using real names rather than anonymity. Initially, they do it to give a name to the urban legends that start around them.
* The bird-kids in ''MaximumRide'' all have names that sound like code names.
* {{Quiller}}, the protagonist of the spy novels by Adam Hall. We never find out what his real name is, and he is always referred to by his cover name on missions.
* The titular assassin from ''TheDayOfTheJackal''. Even the people who hired him didn't know his name, and in the end, neither do we.
* "Literature/JackRyan":
** The presidential nicknames (as mentioned in the RealLife section, below) for the otherwise unnamed president early in the series is "Wrangler", while Jack Ryan's callsign is "Swordsman", for the gift he received at the end of ''The Sum of All Fears'' (his wife is "Surgeon", for her civilian job, and the children get names starting with "s").
** Ryan's chosen Treasury Department Secretary is tagged with the callsign "Trader", for his civilian life job. It's joked by Ryan to make sure to pronounce it correctly... which is why the Secret Service probably wouldn't use that in RealLife.
** The title of ''Literature/RainbowSix'' is a reference to the callsign of the unit's leader- "Six" being the traditional number for a CO.
* JohnLeCarre named the head of his [=MI6=] equivalent "Control", who kept his real name secret.
** Control's successor signs documents with "CC", for Chief of Circus, but does not attempt to keep his identity secret.
* ''Literature/AmericanGods''' TheMenInBlack Mr. Town, Mr. Stone, and Mr. Universe are thought to be code names, lampshaded by Sam who goes on about [[LineOfSightName line of sight]] ThemeNaming with Mr. Sidewalk, and Mr. Dirt.
* In ''WearingTheCape'' most superheroes have codenames that are descriptive of their power or just cool-sounding. Atlas gives Hope the temporary codename "Astra", which he says is Latin for “star". She keeps it, despite later finding out it's the plural form--"stars".
* ''Literature/TheMarkOfTheLion'': Hadassah adopts the name Rapha (Hebrew for “healer”) in book two because [[spoiler:she is supposed to be dead]]. A MeaningfulName because Hadassah is working as a physician’s assistant, and quickly gains a reputation for her HealingHands (which she attributes to the power of God).
* In the ''Codename Omega'' stories, unsurprisingly, several characters have codenames: Nuke, Navy, Princess, Knight, Valiant, Victory and, of course, Omega. They have rules about when to use the codenames to prevent their real identities being revealed, even after some of them have been identified. Nuke is unique in that he's the only character whose real name is never revealed even to those on his team.
* Shows up in ''TheStand'', where Harold Lauder picks up the codename 'Nighthawk' or 'Hawk' during the clean-up of Boulder after the plague.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* The 2004 version of ''[[Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined Battlestar Galactica]]'' turns the rather improbable given names of original characters such as Apollo, Starbuck, and Boomer into pilot callsigns. [[MauveShirt Other pilots]] include "Hot Dog," "Crashdown," "Duck," "Racetrack," and many, many more.
* Zack and Cody of ''TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'' use code names when pulling off some of their more elaborate pranks. Usually Zack picks the code names and gives Cody an embarrassing one and himself a flattering one, such as "Better Looking Twin."
* Colonel Hogan's callsign is "Goldilocks" in ''HogansHeroes'', apparently because it was his callsign back when he was a fighter pilot. Fairytale-esque names are used for a number of targets and individuals.
* Also seen in ''Series/TheUnit''; Unit operators use colors in place of their real names to hid their identities (Mr. Black, Sgt. White, etc) and also have radio callsigns than range from cool (Snake Doctor, Hammerhead) to silly (Blue Iguana, Betty Blue).
** If you're Airborne, Gerhardt's callsign ("Dirt Diver") is hilarious. [[hottip:* :A newbie Airborne trooper is sometimes called a "Dirt Dart".]]
* The titular ''{{Gladiators}}'' from the [[TheNineties '90s]] sports game show all had suitably [[RuleOfCool impressive-sounding]] handles. The black ones did tend to get the names like "Shadow", "Nightshade" and "Saracen", a fact pointed out by Jeremy Hardy on his ''Talk to the Nation'' radio series.
* The agents of ''Series/SapphireAndSteel'' are named after either precious gems, periodic elements or alloys. In Assignment 5, they recruit a bystander to help them, who asks for a 'code name' of his own, and is told he can be Brass.
* ''Series/AlloAllo'', zis is Night'awk...
* And as ''Series/AlloAllo'' was based on ''Series/SecretArmy'', codenames appear there too, most noticeably for Lisa: Code Name Yvette, [[spoiler: as well as Albert, who adopts the Yvette moniker after Lisa is [[AnyoneCanDie killed in a bombing raid]].]]
* As mentioned above, CONTROL agents in ''Series/GetSmart'' use numbers. The [[Film/GetSmart 2008 film]] states that only field agents get numbers, while analysts and staff go by their names. In the original series, we learn that The Chief used to be Agent Q, since he was an agent before they switched to numbers.
* ''UglyBetty'' features this when they're trying to do a secret fashion show:
-->'''Betty:''' Oh, can we have code names? I wanna be Princess Daisy.\\
'''Henry:''' Oh, I'm Dragon! No, Eagle! Dragon, Black Dragon!\\
'''Daniel:''' Guys! It's fine, do whatever you want... just as long as it's not Falcon, because that's mine.
* The various spies in ''Series/{{Alias}}'' all had vaguely-evocative codenames, which changed depending on which organization they worked for. Protagonist Sydney Brisow's for example, were "Blue Bird" (SD-6), "Freelancer" (C.I.A. double agent), "Mountaineer" (C.I.A.) and "Phoenix" (A.P.O.).
* The actives in the ''{{Dollhouse}}'' have code names based on the [=NATO=] phonetic alphabet: Alpha, Echo, November, Sierra, Victor, and Whiskey.
** That was the Los Angeles branch we're mostly familiar with. The Washington D.C. branch used the names of Greco-Roman gods.
* ''TheMonkees'' use funny code names in the episode “Art, For Monkees’ Sake” while breaking into an art museum overnight to switch back a stolen painting (“Mission: Ridiculous”). Each name refers to the places where each of the boys are from: "Manchester Marauder" (Davy), "Connecticut Counterspy" (Peter), "Los Angeles Leopard" (Micky), and the "(Modest) but Towering Texan" (Mike).
* ''MarriedWithChildren''. When Al, Bud, and Jefferson devise a plot to blow up a scoreboard, they use the codenames 00 Shoe, Son of Frankenstein, and Gold Digger.
* Shows up on ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' when the Scoobies are trying to fight vampires while Buffy is gone in the beginning of season 2. Xander is 'Nighthawk'.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* The ConceptAlbum ''Scenes From A Memory'' has "the Sleeper", Julian (who is somewhat lazy), and "the Miracle", his brother Edward, a senator. One interpretation is that Victoria's CodeName is "Metropolis". Technically, these are nicknames.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Oral Tradition]]
* RobinHood of course.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* In WhiteWolf's ''Aberrant'', superheroes of course chose their own code names. However, a secret organization also assigned entirely separate code names to their agents. One, who is basically Batman (but with more skills) in the body of a nebbishy, middle-aged maintenance man, is nicknamed Renaissance Man. He doesn't approve of this, because code names aren't supposed to give hints to the agent's identity.
* ''[[TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}} Shadowrunners]]'' seldom use their real names, instead preferring a nickname. One of the recommended ways to flesh out your backstory is to come up with an explanation of how you got the name.
** One early piece of ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' short fiction {{Lampshaded}} the use of call signs, having a merc captain assign code names that were mostly for laughs. His own call sign was "Georgia Peach", and the runners who hired his squad remark about how it's a dippy name for a male ork, even one with a southern accent.
* In ''{{Cosmopol}}'', it's common for player characters to be known by a street name or callsign in the context of their (often illegal) "night job", and if the character is a {{hacker}} who belongs to [[LaResistance the Zero One]], callsigns are always used instead of real names.
* ''{{Spycraft}}'' also encourages this for your spies. And it can be even more fun when you refuse to use fake codenames when in front of other spies who know you're spies!
* ''MageTheAwakening'' has most mages adopting "shadow names" among their own culture, given that referring to each other by their ''real'' names [[IKnowYourTrueName often opens them up to attack]]. As names have power, no matter how true they are, the shadow name usually matches the character's outlook and personality, and may serve to guide how they develop amongst the Awakened.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Toys]]
* Everyone in ''GIJoe'' had a codename, widely ranging in silliness -- from Roadblock and Wild Bill to Snowjob and Ice Cream Soldier.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* Most of the groups in the ''Franchise/MetalGear'' franchise had some convention for their operative's codenames. FOXHOUND used the formula (Descriptive Word) + (Animal Name) -- for instance, Solid Snake or Sniper Wolf. The Cobra Unit used emotions that were felt by the members on the battlefield -- for example, The Pain, The Sorrow, and The Fury. "The End" is a bit more esoteric, but comes from the total sense of oblivion he felt when on the hunt. Sometimes, the codenames were cool. Sometimes, not so much. Compare such names as "Psycho Mantis" or "Vamp" to such names as "Fatman" or "Revolver Ocelot". (Just don't do it to their faces...) Every last one is [[MeaningfulName a dead giveaway as to that character's skill and personality]], but serves the purpose of obscuring the individual's real name.
** Originally, the codenames for the Foxhound Unit were designed in such a way that the animal represented, obtusely, your rank, while the adjective represented, also obtusely, your particular style or skill. This was then completely subverted by Metal Gear Solid, but there are still some references, even as late as [=MGS4=], of Fox being the highest possible ranking/codename for a Foxhound operative. Snake is, oddly enough, somewhere near the bottom (in the original game, Solid Snake was a rookie).
*** After Big Boss' fall, when Roy Campbell took over FOXHOUND he revitalized the codenaming procedure, which could account for the odd names. Additionally, the animal name was not the rank, but an indication of their passing grade.
*** It should be noted that characters aren't usually referred to by their full codenames; Solid Snake is almost always called "Snake", Revolver Ocelot is just "Ocelot", and so on. So they actually have ''nicknames of'' their codenames.
* The ''VideoGame/WingCommander'' series makes use of callsigns for pilots, most of which sound really cool: Maniac, Angel, Bossman, Knight, Spirit, Doomsday, Jazz, Paladin, Shotglass, Shadow, Crossbones, etc. ''In Wing Commander III'', they even gave the main character of the series the callsign Maverick (most famous from its use in the movie ''Top Gun'', one of Chris Roberts' inspirations to make ''VideoGame/WingCommander'').
* In KingdomHearts, all members of Organization XIII have three code names. A Number in roman numeral form, an anagram of their "true name" with an X added, and a longer title relating to their powers or fighting style. For example, Xaldin's three code names are III, Xaldin (from his original name Dilan), and "The Whirlwind Lancer".
* ''StarWars: TheForceUnleashed'''s main character is better known by his codename, "Starkiller", rather than his real name, Galen Marek. It's almost an IAmNotShazam situation, if it weren't for the fact that Galen is often referred to as "Starkiller" in the various media based on ''Force Unleashed''.
** [[MythologyGag 'Starkiller' of course was Luke's surname in the earliest versions of the script]], [[ContinuityNod as well as the surname of]] [[KnightsOfTheOldRepublic Taris' former best deathmatch duelist (now deceased)]].
* Inverted in ''SuperRobotWars''. W17 at first didn't care about names, but on her mission to sneak onto the good guys' group, she made up her own CodeName 'Lamia Loveless'. The CodeName now sounds more common than the real name.
* Barring Captain Price, the SAS guys from ''CallOfDuty: ModernWarfare'' don't go by their real names, so you get "Soap" and "Gaz". In ''Modern Warfare 2'', the Task Force 141 have the same tradition, so you get "Soap", "Worm", "Ghost" and "Rook", while Captains Price and [=MacTavish=] go by their rank and surnames (Price still calls him "Soap", though).
* ''Creator/TomClancy's VideoGame/{{HAWX}}'':
** The PlayerCharacter supposedly has the callsign "Shade", but it's used less than "Crenshaw", the character's real last name.
** In one of the missions, you have to protect the president's airplane, who is using the callsign "Eagle".
* Every member of the Hero's Guild in the ''VideoGame/{{Fable}}'' series, including the option to purchase from a variety of options for your character. Well, everyone except [[TheSmartGuy Garth]].
* In ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'' the military uses code names when referring to the three primary vectors of the Blacklight Virus. Alex Mercer, DesignatedHero, is ZEUS; [[spoiler: Elizabeth Greene is MOTHER]]; and [[spoiler: her child is PARIAH]].
* In ''VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors'', all of the main characters go by these throughout the game in order to protect their identities. Each codename corresponds with the number their bracelet has been assigned: Ace (the card representing one), Snake (snake eyes, which is two), Santa (derived from the Japanese word for three, 'san'), Clover (referring to a four-leaf clover [[spoiler: though subverted when her name is revealed to [[RealNameAsAnAlias literally be Clover]]]]), June (the sixth month), Seven (Uhh... Seven...), and Lotus (a plant which has eight petals). The 9th Man never revealed a code name before his death, but is referred to as this [[spoiler: until his real name is revealed in the Safe and True endings]]. Junpei (number five), the protagonist, also subverts this in that his name was revealed to the group before everyone selected code names. Made better in that many of these names turn out to have double meanings.
* Several characters in ''AlphaProtocol'' are known only by their codenames such as Albatross, SIE or Sis.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* Used by the superheroes/villains in ''Spinnerette''. Tiger (a black hero) is [[InsistentTerminology especially insistent]] that his code name is NOT Black Tiger.
* Parodied in the webcomic ''Exterminatus Now!'', where the agent codenamed "Elusive Camel" was actually a penguin. It was that or "Urinating Flounder".
* In [[TheWotch Triquetra Cats]], the code name in SERVICE designates which subgroup you are assigned to, such as the Talons (a mineral and a bird) such as Stone Bluejay, Sand Robin or China Cardinal, the Fables, (pseudo japanese version of fairytale characters) such as Sannou White or Raydin Hood, Shinobi Spectrum (words that imply colour) such as Shinobi Tiger (orange) or Shinobi Forest (green) and M-P which are descriptives of their power sets Project: Elemental Cat or Agent Shunmyo.
* In [[http://pics.sluggy.com/daily.php?date=060620 this]] ''SluggyFreelance'' strip, Torg and Riff give themselves holiday themed codenames (April Fool and Hot Chick Appreciation Day, respectively).
* Like many of the comedic examples listed above the callsigns for [[TheSquad Icebreaker squad]] in the GirlsLove SpaceOpera ''Webcomic/{{Angels 2200}}'' are all sarcastic, ironic, or sardonic commentaries on their personalities (or failings). Unlike the comedic examples the recipients are fully aware that they're being mocked and it contributes to their ultimate failure to bond as a team.
* In EverydayHeroes, several characters have code names that are actually their real names: Mr. Mighty, Dolly Bird, Professor Odious, Doctor Unpleasant. Other heroes have more "heroic" appellations, which are still based on their actual names ([[http://www.webcomicsnation.com/eddurd/everydayheroes/series.php?view=single&ID=87772 Dot Dash's]] real name is Dorothea, [[http://www.webcomicsnation.com/eddurd/everydayheroes/series.php?view=single&ID=90023 Matt O'Morph]] is Matthew, etc.).
** the Mysterious Watchful Presence and his pilot use ''additional'' code names when arranging for pick-up ... which the pilot complains are [[http://www.webcomicsnation.com/eddurd/everydayheroes/series.php?view=single&ID=76141 unnecessary]].
* The "all the good names were taken" variant is used in ''TheNoob''. A new player, trying to choose a name for his character, is repeatedly told that the name he requested is already taken. In frustration, he shouts out "Oh, for f*** sake!" ... and the game responds, "You have chosen a human male warrior with the name Ohforf'sake..."
* Grace from ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' originally didn't have a real name, but went by the code name 'Shade Tail'. 'Grace' was the name her Dr Sciuridae gave her, [[spoiler:after the [[ReplacementGoldfish dead daughter]] who had been her gene-parent]].
** Both for Grace and general Tail [[AlternateUniverse variants]], Tail as the last name is ''not'' arbitrary, [[spoiler:it's family name, since their Uryuom parent's name translates to Tail from Uryuomoco]].
* TruLifeAdventures features Leonard Zachary's QuirkyMiniBossSquad, all of whom have codenames [[spoiler: named after computers or operating systems]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* At the SuperHeroSchool Whateley Academy in the WhateleyUniverse, all students must have a codename, for security purposes. (Any reports going out to police or criminal organizations will ''only'' list the codename, protecting the student's family.) On the first day, the headmistress points out that their codename will become the name they are most known by, and there are repercussions for choosing a bad name or changing later. The supervillain 'Wrecking Ball' is still referred to by his Whateley Academy codename of 'Power Pork', much to his chagrin.
* Some members of the terrorist organisation in ''SurvivalOfTheFittest'' have code names, these include 'King', 'Queen, 'Jack' and 'Ace'.
* ''TheDescendants'' loves these. Students at the SuperHeroSchool self enforce it as a tradition, but other characters have picked them up from the media or just by being that nerdy.
* Since it is a superhero setting, it is easier to list the [[AvertedTrope aversions]] of this trope from the ''GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse, like Michael Kayle, David Thorn, Charles Carr, Nicholas Chandler, Josiah Brimstone, and Pamela Odd, all of whom are superheroes and most of whom are BadassNormals.
* RedVsBlue has the freelancer agents, each named after a different state.
** Sarge also has a habit of using code names like "Maroon One" for Simmons.
*** One word: [[OverusedRunningGag Puma]].
* At the Orphanage in ''Literature/{{Phaeton}}'' many of the DPIs use these, some for secrecy, some for fun, some because they don't know their real names.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* In the pilot episode of ''ChipNDalesRescueRangers'', the chipmunks meet an animal resistance movement whose members all take code names beginning with the letter "K", leading to an inevitable "[[ParentalBonus K Sera Sera]]" gag.
* Spectrum agents in ''CaptainScarlet'' use colours as codenames, usually associated with the word "Captain" (as in the titular hero, Captain Blue, Captain Ochre, Captain Scarlet, etc.), but sometimes with some other honorific, for example Lieutenant Green and Doctor Fawn.
** Also, the female fighter pilots had a (mostly) musical motif. Their numbers included Destiny, Symphony, Melody, Rhapsody and Harmony.
* "WesternAnimation/{{COPS}} roll call! Highway. Mainframe. Longarm. Bowzer and Blitz. Sundown. Hardtop. Mirage. Bullseye. Mace. Barricade. And they call me: Bulletproof. These are Empire City's most wanted crooks: Berserko. Rock Crusher. Ms. Demeanor. Turbo Tu-Tone. Dr. Badvibes. Nightshade. Use caution in apprehending."
* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'' crew uses code names when pulling off some of their more elaborate pranks. (Gus once got detention for using Miss Finster's code name, "Crocodilicus", to her face.)
* Spoofed in the first episode of ''WesternAnimation/DangerMouse''. DM's code name is... Danger Mouse. Penfold's is The Jigsaw, "because when faced with a problem, he falls to pieces."
* One of the {{Running Gag}}s on ''TheSecretShow'' is that the boss of the heroes has always a different codename and it's always something embarrassing.
* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'', where Danny sneaks aboard Axion Labs upon which code names are given that fits the character's current situation; namely Sam's social status and Danny's inability to see her crush on him:
-->'''Sam:''' (through an intercom) Clueless One, this is Goth One. Over.
-->'''Danny:''' Goth One, this is Clueless One...why am I Clueless One?
* ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' takes this trope and runs far away with it.
* At the beginning of the WesternAnimation/SouthPark miniseries ''Imaginationland'', while trying to catch a leprechaun, Cartman calls himself "Dragonwind", while giving his friends less than flattering code names, including "Blackie" for Token, and "Faggot" for Butters.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' has [[BadassNormal Robin]], whose CodeName (like his costume) is a throwback to his former life in the circus. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Cyborg]] and [[{{Animorphism}} Beast Boy's]] {{CodeName}}s are very much of the descriptive variety, but [[CuteBruiser 'Starfire']] and [[DarkMagicalGirl 'Raven']] are actually the girls' names.
* The gem guardians in ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' take on the names of the gems they carry, so they're more like callsigns; unlike other Gargoyles, who tended to have ThemeNaming (all the Manhattan Clan's Gargoyles but Goliath being known by location names from New York, such as Hudson and Broadway).
* [[{{Archer}} Sterling Archer]] aka Duchess --- named after his mother's dog.
* This is lampshaded in commercial for XMenEvolution. Xavier calls the team by real name and code name, but when he gets to Jean Grey she's just Jean Grey. Then she complains about not having a code name.
* Justified in''StarWarsTheCloneWars'', where each clone trooper introduced is almost always referred to by their chosen codename (Rex, Cody, Fives, etc.) not only because the Jedi feel it allows them to express their individuality, but because their actual real names are just strings of numbers. It's easier to call out "Rex" in the middle of the battlefield than "CT-7567." Certain characters still call them by their numerical designation, either because they feel the codenames are improper, or because they're just plain jerks.
* Artemis from ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' plays with this. Artemis is her given first name and also makes a very fitting code name when in costume.
* ''DisneysPrepAndLanding'' loves this. Naturally, they're all holiday-themed. One of the protagonists is 'Tree Skirt', for example.
* Shows up in ''TheFlintstones'' ''A Flinstone Christmas''...Fred uses Sky Sled and Big Red on the sleigh's CB.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Quite obviously a TruthInTelevision--most common in fighter pilots--though rarely are real military callsigns as cool as those found in fiction. This is because real codenames are usually meant to have no obvious meaning to outside observers, or are meant to be in-jokes that only those in the loop will get, and/or a constant reminder to keep a fighter pilot humble by reminding him of his foibles. You will find plenty of guys named things like "Frog" and "Sobs", but not many named "Maverick" or "Deadeye".
* Astronaut Michael Collins recounts his being difficult to get the guy on the other end of the radio to understand. It was Flit Gun, but they kept hearing 'Six Gun', no matter how he tried to correct them.
* ''Jetstream'', a documentary series following the training of Canadian fighter pilots, shows the allocation process for these names. The pilots themselves have no say in it.
* An episode of ''Mighty Ships'' set on the largest carrier in the world, the ''USS Nimitz'', showed a rookie pilot getting his callsign, which is usually done by consensus of other pilots in the rookie's flight group. This particular pilot had made no mistakes even when landing on a carrier at night, but when catapulted off for the exercise had, in his own words, screamed like a little girl. Another pilot noted that "screams like a girl" could be [[FunWithAcronyms acronymed]] into "slag", which is also a British slang term meaning, roughly, slut, and (though this wasn't mentioned on the show) is originally an industrial term for waste product from smelting.
** It's also the name of a [[{{Transformers}} Dinobot]], so it's still kinda [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs badass]].
* Related to the above are team nicknames, for special forces groups. These are given, among other reasons, for the same reason that pilots are given callsigns.
* Another real life example: President Barack Obama's secret service codename is "Renegade". (A few nut-jobs claim that the word is from the Spanish ''renegado'': one who has renounced Christianity!) At least with the Obama family, all the members of the First Family have codenames that start with the same letter (Michelle's is "Renaissance"). The same held true for the Clintons - some of whom are still under Secret Service protection - [[BillClinton Bill]] was "Eagle", [[HillaryRodhamClinton Hillary]] was "Evergreen" and Chelsea was "Energy". George W. Bush's (he'll get protection for another decade) is "Trailblazer". Eleanor Roosevelt's codename was "Rover", while Cheney was "Angler".
** Every time a new president is elected, the Secret Service comes up with codenames for the president's family (and, if TheWestWing is to believed, the senior staff--CJ Cregg's was "Flamingo")...and then the media immediately reports what they are. Huh?
*** The presidential codenames are more for brevity and clarity in communications rather than secrecy, as confirmed by a former Secret Service agent.
** GeorgeHWBush had the call sign "Skin" during his Navy years, and John [=McCain=] was "Playboy"
* The head of the SIS/MI-6 is traditionally referred to as "'''C'''" after the original holder of the post's habit of signing documents with his initial in green ink, and is the obvious inspiration for the Bond series' alphabet of HQ-staff codenames.
** In Al Franken's ''The Truth (with jokes)'', in a chapter on pre-Iraq War planning, he talks about the Downing Street memos. There we find out that not only is there an individual designated C, there are also Z, R, and a group called 'the Vowels.'
* During World War II, the German military had a bad habit of using code names for projects or systems which were superficially cryptic but actually revealed the nature of the concept they were supposed to disguise. Specialists at Bletchley Park determined that a device referred to in intelligence reports as "Wotan" was in fact a single-beam navigation system; "Wotan" is, of course, the name of a one-eyed god in Anglo-Saxon mythology. English-speakers might know Wotan better by his Norse name, "Odin".
** There was also "Operation Sea Lion", the plan for an invasion by sea of Britain, a nation often symbolized by a lion. Yeah, good thinking on that one.
* JamesBond's codename actually comes from a real British spy's callsign. Dr. John Dee, who served Queen Elizabeth I, used it as a signature. The 0's represented the queen's eyes and the 7 was his personal number.
* The Symbionese Liberation Army -- the terrorist group of the 1970s best-known for kidnapping Patty Hearst -- may have been murderous whackjobs, but they did pick some cool-sounding codenames: "Cinque," "Cujo," "Mizmoon," "Fahizah," and of course Hearst's, "Tania."
* One word: Strippers!
* Citizens Band radio handles, though mostly just as call signs rather than code.
[[/folder]]
----