true name
Authentic personal designation
A true name, in fantasy and folklore, is a person's or entity's secret, essential name—distinct from ordinary names—that gives power over them to anyone who knows it.
The concept appears across mythology, religion, and modern fantasy fiction: To speak a demon's true name is to command it.
The idea reflects ancient beliefs that names contain inherent power over the thing named.
Spoken magical formula
- summoningCalling forth deliberately
- conjurationMagical act of summoning
- bindingLegally or morally required
- sigilMagical or heraldic symbol
rune · grimoire · enchantment · sorcery · invocation · banishment · demon · spirit
Act of first revealing
- discoveryAct of finding something
- disclosureAct of revealing information
- unmaskingRevealing what's hidden
- uncoveringRevealing something hidden
exposure · confession · divulgence · learning · speaking · utterance · whisper · forbidden
Fundamental nature of something
- aliasAdopted false name
- pseudonymFictitious professional name
- monikerInformal designation for someone
- nicknameInformal substitute name
surname · patronymic · matronymic · appellation · cognomen · christening · persona · handle
incantation
Spoken magical formula
- summoningCalling forth deliberately
- conjurationMagical act of summoning
- bindingLegally or morally required
sigil · rune · grimoire · enchantment · sorcery · invocation · banishment · demon · spirit · fae
unveiling
Act of first revealing
- discoveryAct of finding something
- disclosureAct of revealing information
- unmaskingRevealing what's hidden
uncovering · exposure · confession · divulgence · learning · speaking · utterance · whisper · forbidden · secret
essence
Fundamental nature of something
nickname · surname · patronymic · matronymic · appellation · cognomen · christening · persona · handle
control
Authority to direct
- commandAuthoritative instruction given
- dominanceSuperior influence over others
- authorityPower to enforce obedience
mastery · binding · summoning · compulsion · obedience · surrender · subjugation · leverage · hold · sway
- Sacred NamesYahweh, YHWH, Jehovah, Adonai, Yeshua
- spellsspell, cast, conjure, curse, enchantment
- supernatural weaknessessilver, sunlight, garlic, holy water, crosses
- fantasy magicmagic wand, crystal ball, flying broom, love potion, invisibility cloak
- Fairiesfairies, faeries, fairy queen, fairy dust, fairy wings
- magic wordsabracadabra, alakazam, hocus pocus, presto, open sesame
true namepseudonym
Fictitious professional name
alias · false name · assumed name · pen name · stage name
true, truth, truly, truism, untrue, untruth, truthful, truthfully, truthfulness