History Main / RaceNameBasis

* ''Literature/TheMoomins'': only a few characters have names (that we know of). Even those who do are often referred to by race. If nore than one member of a race is present, family relationships are used to distinguish them. It helps that there are a dozen or so races, but maybe thirty characters.

* ''Literature/TheMoomins'':few characters even have names (that we know of). Even those who do are often referred to by race. If nore than one member of a race is present, family relationships are used to distinguish them. It helps that there are a dozen or so races, but maybe thirty characters.

* [[WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty Rick Sanchez]] had a friend he called Gearhead that was a [[MechanicalLifeforms humanoid clockwork person]] that [[{{Deconstruction}} betrays him in anger]] over being called that instead of his real name, comparing it to [[InterchangeableAsianCultures calling a Chinese person "Asiaface"]].

Note that the title is a play on EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep, but it is more closely related to [[FirstNameBasis name]] [[LastNameBasis basis]] [[KnownOnlyByTheirNickname tropes]] and doesn't necessarily refer to a character who lacks a proper name.

* In ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'', Master Shifu usually refers to Po as "Panda". FridgeBrilliance implies that his other students, who seem to be examples of ADogNamedDog, might originally have had other names, but since Shifu always referred to them by their species, they started using those as their names.

* At the end of The13thWarrior, Ahmad is sailing away after having helped the Vikings. One of the Vikings shouts to him, "Good-bye, Arab." To which he replies, "Good-bye, Northman." It was a simpler, and less PC time.

* Discussed in detail in ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'', where King Arthur calls a peasant "Old Man," and then "Man" when he points out that he isn't old, before the peasant says Arthur should call him Dennis.

* The villainous Steel often calls the titular ''WesternAnimation/{{Balto}}'' "wolf-dog" to his face, to disparage Balto's mixed parentage.
* The arrogant and pretentious Cat R Waul knows Fievel Mousekewicz's name in ''WesternAnimation/FievelGoesWest'', but calls him "mouse" to emphasize his FantasticRacism that mice are hopelessly inferior to cats.

* ''Series/BabylonFive'': In the episode "Soul Hunter", the Soul Hunter is in Medlab when the Minbari Ambassador comes to see him, "What do you want, Minbari?" Shortly after he recognizes her as Delenn of the Grey Council, after which he refers to her as such.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "Friday's Child" has a Klingon character named Kras. Kirk calls him "Klingon" twice, Maab calls him "Klingon" six separate times and Eleen calls him "Klingon" once. This is because Kras' real name is never spoken during the episode. The only way the viewer learns it is by reading the end credits.
* Occurs in the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "Tapestries", when an arrogant Nausicaan challenges a known and skilled Starfleet cadet to "Play dom-jot, hu-man."

* ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekTheAnimatedSeries'' episode "The Jihad".

* In ''StevenUniverse'', gems are referred to by their gem type, although they do have "names," or rather long serial numbers describing their facet and cut. This means that all Rubies are referred to as Ruby, all Peridots as Peridot, all Pearls as Pearl, etc. Doesn't help that each member of each type is nearly identical.

* In Manga/SouseiNoOnmyouji, Kamui is referred to as "Basara" until we learn his name, ten chapters after his first appearance.

* In an early episode of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', Chakotay is captured by a group of Kazon, one of whom has to [[ARealManIsAKiller kill someone to become a man]]. The youngster refers to Chakotay as "Starfleet" to dehumanize (or rather, de-sentient-being-ize) him in his own mind, and/or to show Chakotay and by extension the Starfleet crew contempt. Chakotay threw it back in his face, calling him "Kazon" to show he's not being intimidated.
** In ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', Neelix calls everyone by their rank and last name except Tuvok, whom he calls "Mr. Vulcan" after a conversation following their meeting. Being unfamiliar with the customs, it is reasonable to assume that Neelix took "I am Vulcan" to mean "my name is Vulcan." He continued to call Tuvok "Mr. Vulcan" even after he [Neelix] would have been corrected, likely as a private joke between the two of them that only Neelix finds funny.

'''Tuvok:''' The Federation is made up of many cultures. I am Vulcan.

* ''{{Series/StargateSG1}}'': In a running gag, Master Bra'tac refuses to call Jack O'Neill by his name, preferring to call him "Human." It's implied to be an in-joke between them.

[[folder: Literature ]]

* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'': [[OurElvesAreDifferent Legolas]] and [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Gimli]] regularly refer to one another as "Elf" and "Dwarf" respectively. As the story goes on, the use of these evolves from [[FantasticRacism derisive]], to [[TheRival respectful]], to [[TrueCompanions terms of endearment]].
* ''Franchise/TheWitcher'': Elves, and to a lesser extent other races, refer to humans as "dh'oine", which is simply "Human" in the Elder Language. The Scoia'tael in particular use it as a borderline insult.
* ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'': There is actually fairy etiquette about this, a bit like NWordPrivileges. Calling someone by their species name is only acceptable if you're good friends, else it's insulting. Most fairies do call all humans 'human' though, when they don't call them [[CallAHumanAMeatbag Mudmen]], that is. In ''The Opal Deception'', Ark Sool refers to Foaly as "centaur" which Foaly notes is insulting to do unless between friends.

[[/folder]]

* ''Mass Effect'': If you leave the Council to die in the first game, Garrus Vakarian will temporarily switch to this if he is present, saying "I hope you know what you're doing, ''human''." Highly unusual, as he is generally respectful of Shepard to a fault, and he cannot be made to do this in any other instance in the trilogy.

* Mass Effect: If you leave the Council to die in the first game, Garrus Vakarian will temporarily switch to this if he is present, saying "I hope you know what you're doing, ''human''." Highly unusual, as he is generally respectful of Shepard to a fault, and he cannot be made to do this in any other instance in the trilogy.

This trope refers mostly to those settings where each race is fundamentally different to one another. Because of this, it is most common in fantasy or science fiction works. Stories featuring the FiveRaces are almost certain to possess some measure of this, though certain other settings, such as a WorldOfFunnyAnimals also apply. However, it does not refer to PresentDay settings, such as use of the [[NWordPrivileges N-Word]] as these are almost certain to be derogatory unless shown otherwise. While FantasticRacism often does tie into this it is not the only reason for it.

The reasons for referring to one by their race tend to be more varied in fantastical settings than they are in [[RealLife reality]]. It could be a sign of respect, or [[FantasticRacism lack of it]]. Maybe they haven't yet been properly introduced. Maybe the other character's name is simply [[AerithAndBob too strange to pronounce]]. This is particularly common among TokenNonhuman characters. Legolas and Gimli are, for example, the token elf and dwarf in the TheLordOfTheRings.

See also FirstNameBasis, and LastNameBasis. Related to HeyYou. Compare EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep when this is done with professions rather than race, and NWordPrivileges where a certain term (normally those found in RealLife) is "derogatory without permission". If doing this doubles as FirstNameBasis then you're probably on a PlanetOfSteves. In works involving animals this will likely be a case of SpeciesSurname.

Naturally, there is a bit of TruthInTelevision to this. However, because most of these tend to be derogatory and offensive, NoRealLifeExamplesPlease.

Naturally, there is a bit of TruthInTelevision to this. However, due to the fact that most of these tend to be derogatory and offensive, NoRealLifeExamplesPlease.

** In some of her early episodes, Dr. Pulaski would refer to Data as "The Android" or "It" rather than his actual name. [[TheScrappy This did ''not'' win her over many fans.]] Likewise, the film ''Film/StarTrekInsurrection'' had the Ba'ku often refer to Data as "The Artificial Life Form" since his existence was at odds with their stance of the rejection of all advanced technology.

* In ''Film/{{Dragonheart}}'', Bowen calls the dragon "Dragon" mainly for lack of anything else to call him. Eventually, Dragon gets tired of it, and declares he has a name, but admits that Bowen would never be able to pronounce it. Later, Bowen decides to call him Draco instead, basically calling him Dragon in another language. Draco points out the irony, but decides to go along with it.

* ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'': There is actually fairy etiquette about this, a bit like NWordPrivileges. Calling someone by their species name is only acceptable if you're good friends, else it's insulting. Most fairies do call all humans 'human' though, when they don't call them [[CallAHumanAMeatbag Mudmen]], that is.
** In ''Artemis Fowl'', Ark Sool refers to Foaly as "centaur" which Foaly notes is insulting to do [[NWordPrivileges unless between friends]].