View source for Derby name

[[File:2011-07-31 Rollercon (Classes)-1000.jpg|thumb|450px|right|"Isabelle Ringer" of the [[San Diego Derby Dolls]] displays her derby name while coaching a group of skaters.]]
A '''derby name''', '''roller derby name''' or '''skater name''' is a [[nickname]] used by a skater while playing or officiating [[roller derby]].
Derby names can be seen as an opportunity to adopt an alternative on-track persona.<ref>Anthony Breznican, "[http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2009-07-08-whip-it-side_N.htm Having a roller-derby name is 'kind of like being a superhero]", ''[[USA Today]]'', 8 July 2009</ref>  Many derby names are [[pun]]s, and in some cases this may extend to the skater's number.<ref>Julie Ann Grimm, "[https://archive.today/20130201195031/http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Leisure/Rebels-in-the-Rink Rebels in the rink]", ''[[Santa Fe New Mexican]]'', 30 March 2008</ref>  Other names may be chosen to reflect a skater's playing style or ability.<ref name="cisar">Katjusar Cisar, "[https://web.archive.org/web/20180313031422/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-197895928.html FRITO-LAY SUING ROLLER DERBY SKATER OVER USE OF 'CRACKERJACK']", ''[[The Capital Times]]'', 15 April 2009</ref>  ''[[Tablet Magazine]]'' describes the ideal derby name as showing "both aggression and humor" and "reveal[ing] something about the skater".<ref name="ingall">[[Marjorie Ingall]], "[http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/48852/i-wish-they-all-could-be-jewish-derby-girls I Wish They All Could Be Jewish Derby Girls]", ''[[Tablet Magazine]]'', 28 October 2010</ref>  For example, [[Hydra (skater)|Hydra]], a former [[Texas Rollergirls]] skater, chose her name in part due to her profession as a hydrologist, and in part in reference to the mythological creature.<ref name="mabe">Catherine Mabe, ''Roller Derby: The History and All-Girl Revival of the Greatest Sport on Wheels'', pp.44-45</ref>  Fagundes suggests that the ideal derby name "sounds something like a real name", in that it has a plausible first- and last-name, "connects to derby", and contributes to an "overall persona".  He gives [[LA Derby Dolls]] skater Tara Armov as an example of an ideal-type name.<ref name="fagundes">David Fagundes, "[http://www.texaslrev.com/sites/default/files/issues/vol90/pdf/Fagundes.pdf Talk Derby to Me: Intellectual Property Norms Governing Roller Derby Pseudonyms]{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}", ''[[Texas Law Review]]'', vol.90, pp.1093-1152</ref>
Although some skaters in pre-2000 banked track roller derby did have nicknames, the tradition of derby names did not emerge until the early-2000s revival in [[Austin, Texas]], which was mirrored by [[Ivanna S. Pankin]] of [[Arizona Roller Derby]], who had previously used her derby name while working as a musician.<ref name="fagundes" />
Around 40,000 skater names are registered on the International Rollergirls' Master Roster.<ref>"[https://archive.today/20121228100757/http://www.twoevils.org/rollergirls/ International Rollergirls' Master Roster]", accessed 12 November 2012</ref>  The roster originated as a spreadsheet kept by Hydra.  In November 2004, Axles of Evil proposed that a centralised record of derby names be created, and Hydra then launched the roster publicly.<ref name="cohen">Alex Cohen and Jennifer Barbee, ''Down and Derby: The Insider's Guide to Roller Derby''</ref>  Hydra passed responsibility for the roster to Paige Burner, Soylent Mean and Jelly HoNut late the following year, by which point it already had more than two thousand entries.<ref name="fagundes" />
Despite its name, the roster also includes the derby names of male skaters, referees and other officials.<ref>"[http://www.twoevils.org/rollergirls/rules.html Master Roster Rules]", International Rollergirls' Master Roster</ref>  Names on the roster are not permitted to be identical or very similar to pre-existing entries.<ref name="mabe" /> This is not reflective of actual [[Women's Flat Track Derby Association|WFTDA]] policy, which allows skaters to have the same derby name.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-07 |title=Freshmeat info - Roller Derby 101 |url=https://rollerderby101.weebly.com/freshmeat-info.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707224409/https://rollerderby101.weebly.com/freshmeat-info.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2024-07-07 |access-date=2024-07-07 }}</ref> The growing popularity of roller derby has also made creating an entirely unique name much more difficult.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-07 |title=Derby Roll Call - Derby name registration |url=https://www.derbyrollcall.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707224216/https://www.derbyrollcall.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2024-07-07 |access-date=2024-07-07 }}</ref> The International Rollergirls' Master Roster has other restrictions, such as prohibitions on names starting with [[possessive]]s, ending with [[gerund]]s, or very general, such as "Skater".<ref name="cohen"/>
Many leagues will only submit derby names to the roster once a skater has shown significant commitment to the sport.<ref name="cohen" />  For example, it took more than four months of practice before Nicole Williams adopted her derby name, "[[Bonnie Thunders]]".<ref>Adam Nichols, "[http://articles.nydailynews.com/2006-03-05/news/18322417_1_roller-derby-all-girl-fishnets Black & Blue & Girl All Over]{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}", ''[[New York Daily News]]'', 5 March 2006</ref>
A few skaters choose to trademark their roller derby names,<ref name="mabe" /> and this practice may occasionally lead to conflict.  For example, when [[Mad Rollin' Dolls]] skater Crackerjack attempted to trademark her name, in order to license it for use in a video game, she was sued by the manufacturers of the [[Cracker Jack]] snack food.<ref name="cisar" />
Skaters are not required to use derby names, and a few do skate under their legal names.  This may be due to dissatisfaction with the name which they used in the past,<ref>Nicole Cox, "[http://www.derbylife.com/articles/2012/09/big_derby_name_debate_deciding_skate_me The Big Derby Name Debate: Deciding to Skate as Me] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121125090420/http://www.derbylife.com/articles/2012/09/big_derby_name_debate_deciding_skate_me |date=2012-11-25 }}", ''Derby Life'', 18 September 2012</ref> or, like leading [[London Rollergirls]] skater Stephanie Mainey, in an effort to legitimise the sport.<ref>Georgia Krokus and Katherine Wright, "[https://web.archive.org/web/20160409115112/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-252730863.html Ultraviolent Femmes: it's fast. It's furious. It's all the rage in England]", ''[[Curve (magazine)|Curve]]'', 1 April 2011</ref>  Other skaters counter that derby names are an important part of the culture of the sport, and reflect the use of nicknames in many other sports.<ref name="cohen" />
==See also==
* {{Portal-inline|Sports}}
==References==
<references />
[[Category:Nicknames in sports]]
[[Category:Roller derby]]