A deadname is the birth name a trans person no longer uses. Using it can out someone as transgender to people who did not know, which can lead to discrimination at work, rejection by family or physical danger.
Deadnaming is often built into systems. School rosters, medical records, payroll and credit reports may display a legal name that a person has not been able to change. Changing a name on identity documents can require court filings, fees and published notices, which are harder to manage for people with less money or time. In January 2025, a federal executive order also made it harder for transgender people to update the sex listed on federal documents.
News outlets have long deadnamed trans people who were killed, which can slow identification and disrespect victims. Many style guides, including the Associated Press Stylebook, advise using the name a person uses now.