Basic Trope: A person's name contradicts their gender.
- Straight:
- A woman gives birth to a baby girl. The baby is named "Bob".
- A woman gives birth to a baby boy. The baby is named "Alice".
- Exaggerated:
- A woman gives birth to a baby girl, and gives the baby the manliest name on Earth.
- A woman gives birth to a baby boy, and gives the baby the girliest name on Earth.
- Everyone in the story has names that are traditionally considered atypical for their gender.
- Downplayed:
- The baby girl has a Tomboyish Name or a unisex one.
- The baby boy has a name homonymous with a feminine name (like Adrian).
- The baby has a middle name that is not traditionally of their gender.
- The baby has a unisex name.
- The character is referred to by a nickname that's not as common for their gender, such as a girl named Josephine with the nickname Joey.
- Justified:
- Bob's father wanted the baby to have a boy's name, no matter what.
- (On Bob's end) It's short for a more girly name like Roberta.
- (On Alice's end) It's short for a more boyish name like Allistair.
- The family hails from a culture or time period where the boy's girly name is considered masculine.
- Dad wanted to toughen his son up, or simply to torment his son for life.
- The baby was named after someone who was very special to their parents, who happened to be the opposite gender.
- The parents chose a name that sounds fitting for the baby's gender in their language, but actually is the opposite. (For example, a baby girl named Nikola could be an example of this justification because Nikola is actually the Slavic version of the name Nicholas.)
- The name is gender-neutral, but it's one that's more common for a different gender (such as a girl being named Ryan). The parents were either unaware of the fact that it's a less common name for that gender - or they did realize, but thought the name sounded cool anyway.
- The character's gender was unknown at the time they were originally named (typically common with animals, especially in a Your Tomcat Is Pregnant situation).
- Subverted:
- After trying to name the baby "Bob", the mother named her "Bella" instead.
- After trying to name the baby "Alice", the father named him "Arron" instead.
- A woman is known by the name "Roberto," but it's later revealed that was simply a nickname, and her real name is Alice.
- Bob is commonly thought to be a woman with a masculine name, but it turns out that he's actually a man who looks feminine.
- Alice is assumed to be a man with a feminine name, but she's a woman who looks masculine.
- Double Subverted:
- They then went back to conclusions, and named the baby, "Bob"/"Ashley".
- ... so she wanted you to think, but her name really is Roberto.
- Parodied:
- The most womanly woman on Earth has the manliest name possible.
- The most manly man on Earth has the girliest name possible.
- Zig Zagged: A character, of whatever gender, has a lot of names. Some are male, some are female, but no one knows their real name... or their real gender.
- Averted:
- A woman gives birth to a baby girl. The baby is named, "Alice".
- The baby is given a name that isn't normal for either gender.
- Enforced: The show is trying to be progressive by having characters have names that go against gender roles.
- Lampshaded:
- "WHAT!? They named the baby girl 'Bob'!?"
- "WHAT!? They named the baby boy 'Alice'!?"
- Invoked:
- The woman specifically names her daughter Bob because she wants the child to be mistaken for a boy. (or "Alice" for the boy)
- The mother had a vision that their baby would grow up to be the opposite gender of their sex assigned at birth, so she gave them a name of the opposite gender just to be prepared.
- Exploited:
- Bob uses her Gender-Blender Name to successfully pull off Samus Is a Girl.
- Alice uses his to pull off an Unsettling Gender-Reveal.
- Defied: The parents made sure that their baby's gender is confirmed before naming appropriately.
- Discussed: "I know those two wanted a son/daughter, but apparently the doctor said the baby's going to be a girl/boy. Think they'll name their daughter/son 'Bob'/'Alice' or something?"
- Conversed: "Ha ha. A baby on TV is named "Bob"/"Alice". And it's a girl/boy. Ha ha."
- Played For Drama: The boy is seriously beaten up or tormented because of his name.
Back to Gender-Blender Name.
