History Main / NoNeedForNames

*** In Interesting Times, Victor is on the beach talking to the animals that have been given sentience and language by Holy Wood. They don't have have names, and Victor inadvertently insults them when he says the mouse should be named Squeakers and the bunny, Thumper.

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* ''AceVentura: When Nature Calls'': Apparently, at the monastery, no one wears "labels". However, once you start inquiring about "the man who talks with his ass" [[IdiotHero they know who you're talking about right away]].

* ''{{Discworld}}''

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* In RobertAHeinlein's ''[[Literature/FarnhamsFreehold Farnham's Freehold]]'', a female slave is assigned to Hugh Farnham, and she doesn't have a name. He ends up calling her 'kitten' after the cute way she curled up in bed when she was tired.

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* In RobertAHeinlein's ''[[FarnhamsFreehold Farnham's Freehold]]'', a female slave is assigned to Hugh Farnham, and she doesn't have a name. He ends up calling her 'kitten' after the cute way she curled up in bed when she was tired.

* In the ''StarTrek'' novel, ''[[http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/The_Three-Minute_Universe The Three Minute Universe]]'', the allegedly AlwaysChaoticEvil "Sackers" have no names. When a human calls them a name, they consider it a compliment and use it as a name, and HilarityEnsues.

** As shown later, getting names is a quite big deal to them, and seems to imply full adaptation into human society (apart from accidental namings, that is). Normally they refer to each other by insults.

* In ''{{Gargoyles}}'', the gargoyles traditionally use no names among themselves; Goliath is only called this by the humans. When they arrive in New York the others finally decide to adopt names based on local landmarks and start using them amongst themselves. Most other clans in the world seem to pick up this habit over time as well, presumably because of close contact with humans. (And convenience, according to WordOfGod.)
* In the Lyle the Kindly Viking Episode of ''WesternAnimation/VeggieTales'', a scallion passes by during the Silly Songs segment. Larry asks his name, and he replies "I don't have a name. I've been around since Show One and they still haven't given me a name."

* In ''RedDwarf'', the Cat is just called "The Cat", because Cats don't use names. They tell each other apart by their individual scent.

* In ''GunnerkriggCourt'', according to WordOfGod, the Suicide Fairies from Gillitie Wood have no names prior to becoming human.

* In the Lyle the Kindly Viking Episode of ''{{VeggieTales}}'', a scallion passes by during the Silly Songs segment. Larry asks his name, and he replies "I don't have a name. I've been around since Show One and they still haven't given me a name."

* ''MassEffect2'': [[RobotBuddy Legion]] (to Shepard's frustration) didn't have a name until EDI gave it one on the ''Normandy''. Even so, it never refers to itself as Legion, and only adopted the name for communication with organics.

* In ''{{Gargoyles}}'', the gargoyles traditionally use no names among themselves; Goliath is only called this by the humans. When they arrive in New York the others finally decide to adopt names based on local landmarks and start using them amongst themselves.

** ''Discworld/TheFifthElephant'': Gaspode explains the same thing to Carrot when they "interrogate" a wolf for information on Angua's ''[[IncrediblyLamePun were]]''[[IncrediblyLamePun abouts]]. The book also features a wolf with a name, Gavin, who is an [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean old friend]] of Angua. It's not so much his name as the name of somebody he ate, but it will do for human interactions.

-->--'''''{{Coraline}}'''''

* The cat in ''{{Coraline}}'' does not have a name, as cats don't use or need them.

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* ''TheSandman'' has several characters, most of them dreams that serve Morpheus in one manner or the other, including the Corinthian, the Wyvern, Hippogriff, and Griffon (known collectively as the Gatekeepers), the Silk Man, the Cuckoo, the Fashion Thing.

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* In ''{{Bionicle}}'', most Warrior-class Skrall are nameless, and are only allowed to have names if they are awarded on by their leader.

* In RobertAHeinlein's ''Farnham's Freehold'', a female slave is assigned to Hugh Farnham, and she doesn't have a name. He ends up calling her 'kitten' after the cute way she curled up in bed when she was tired.

->"What's your name,' Coraline asked the cat. 'Look, I'm Coraline. Okay?' \\

No,' said the cat. 'Now you people have names. That's because you don't know who you are. We know who we are, so we don't need names."

* In ''Discworld/MenAtArms'', Angua is very explicit about the fact that wolves (unlike either dogs or werewolves) don't have names. Gaspode has trouble wrapping his mind around the concept.
** And a few books later in ''Discworld/TheFifthElephant'' Gaspode explains the same thing to Carrot when they "interrogate" a wolf for information on Angua's ''[[IncrediblyLamePun were]]''[[IncrediblyLamePun abouts]]. The book also features a wolf with a name, Gavin, who is an [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean old friend]] of Angua.
*** It's not so much his name as the name of somebody he ate, but it will do for human interactions.

* In the StarTrek novel, ''[[http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/The_Three-Minute_Universe The Three Minute Universe]]'', the allegedly AlwaysChaoticEvil "Sackers" have no names. When a human calls them a name, they consider it a compliment and use it as a name, and HilarityEnsues.

* In ''ThePrisoner'', everyone is referred to by numbers rather than by a name.
* The [[EnigmaticMinion Smoke]] [[BigBad Monster]] from {{Lost}} has never been named on the show. This has led to more than one scene where characters who were not in the main cast from the start wonder what exactly is meant by "the monster," or otherwise are forced to go out of their way to explain.

* [[RobotBuddy Legion]] from ''MassEffect2'' (to Shepard's frustration) didn't have a name until EDI gave it one on the ''Normandy''. Even so, it never refers to itself as Legion, and only adopted the name for communication with organics.

** The irony of the page quote is in the continuation:
--->'''Elisa:''' The river's called the Hudson.\\
'''Gargoyle Elder:''' Fine, lass. Then I will be the Hudson as well.

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** And a few books later in ''Discworld/TheFifthElephant'' Gaspode explains the same thing to Carrot when they "interrogate" a wolf for information on Angua's ''[[IncrediblyLamePun were]]''[[IncrediblyLamePun abouts]]. The book also features a wolf with a name, Gavin, who is an [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean old friend]] of Angua.
*** It's not so much his name as the name of somebody he ate, but it will do for human interactions.

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* In ''GunnerkriggCourt'', according to WordOfGod, the Suicide Fairies from Gillitie Wood have no names prior to becoming human.

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----

->'''Gargoyle Elder:''' Must you humans name everything? Nothing's real to you 'til you've named it, given it limits.\\
'''Elisa:''' It's not like that. It's just that, well... uh... things need names.\\
'''Gargoyle Elder:''' Does the sky need a name? Does the river?
-->-- ''{{Gargoyles}}''

No,' said the cat. 'Now you people have names. That's because you don't know who you are. We know who we are, so we don't need names." \\
--''{{Coraline}}''

** And a few books later in ''Discworld/TheFifthElephant'' Gaspode explains the same thing to Carrot when they "interrogate" a wolf for information on Angua's ''[[IncrediblyLamePun were]]''[[IncrediblyLamePun abouts]]. The book also features a wolf with a name, Gavin, who is an old friend of Angua.

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* This happens to a character in MassEffect 2 until EDI helpfully gives him the name Legion. Legion never refers to himself as such.