Vote on the Best Roller Derby Names of 2015!
“What’s in a name?” Well, in roller derby… a LOT! Derby skaters pride themselves on their names, which represent aspects of their personality, skating style, clever sayings or puns, and are overall a huge part of participating in the sport. For some, their roller derby name is their alter ego.
Devaskation holds an annual online vote to determine the very best derby name on the track for the year! The Finalists for Best Roller Derby Name in 2016 are here so vote on your favorite today! Now is the time to make your opinion count!
How it works
Finalists were selected from the nominations that were submitted in November and you can now vote on the finalists during December. The polls will close at midnight December 31st to bring in the New Year! Best of all, the winner of the Best Derby Name will receive $200 to spend at Devaskation.com and be announced the 1st week of January by our very first Roller Derby Name Winner herself, Vulvarizer! Other ways you can vote for your favorite name are by visiting Devaskation’s our social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) and post using the hashtag #BestDerbyName2016. (Don’t forget to like and follow @Devaskation to find out the results!)
Common Themes
We’ve seen a lot of names throughout our time skating and loving the sport. There are definitely some standout themes that are apparent. For example, Harry Potter, Disney characters, musicians, body parts, favorite adult beverages, bands, pure creativity (some of the best!), plays, celebrities, puns, plain old fashioned bad words (but not quite!), foods, random nouns, and much more – including some intimidating, powerful, scary, X-Rated verbiage.
The unique nature of derby players and the sport overall, including tactics and attitude on the track, is why the players’ names are so creative, important, and meaningful. Fans and skaters alike are intrigued by the awesome names that derby skaters use to represent themselves, their playing and skating style, and their ability to express themselves – the pride of roller derby.
This Year’s Finalists!
1. Shortstack O’Paincakes (Sushi Rollers with Tokyo Roller Girls) with 28% of the votes.
2. Skank Tank (Dominion Derby Girls) with 20% of the votes.
3. Lipstick n Bruises (NV East Roller Girls) with 10% of the votes.
Congratulations to Shortstack O’Paincakes for winning this year’s $200 in DevaSkation products! We’re also going to send her some awesome products from the sponsors below!
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Where Can I Register My Derby Name?
Derby Roll Call is an online automatic derby name registrar that allows roller derby players to search current registered derby names and register their own. Other features are offered as well.
Interestingly enough, Derby Roll Call was developed and is maintained by derby skater Sausage Roller from Manchester Roller Derby in the United Kingdom. This tech-savvy derby dude (a software developer and self-proclaimed amateur derby player) also made the Roller Derby Test O’Matic and the Min Skills app! Roller Derby Test O’Matic is a site with multiple-choice questions to quiz your knowledge on current roller derby rules. It also provides helpful tips on how to improve and master each skill and can track your skills progress and show you how close you are to completing each minimum skill!
What Information Do I Need to Register My Derby Name?
The information you will need to register your roller derby name on Derby Roll Call includes: derby name, player number (optional), league (optional), country, and email address. With these pieces of information, you are successfully enrolled with your derby name and team!
Can There Be Duplicate Derby Names?
The answer from Derby Roll Call is. “Yes.” According to the website, it is “inevitable” that more than one person will come up with the same name and potentially even around the same time. They don’t want to assume the responsibility of judging who came up with and used names first.
Due to the increased popularity of roller derby and the large amount of players worldwide, the fact of the matter is that two or more players may register the same name. You will receive a registration email that includes information if your identical or similar name is registered. One of the things that sets Derby Roll Call apart from other registrar sites is the fact that they allow for similar and duplicate names. They state that the best approach is to simply keep everyone informed about the fact that there may be another derby player out there with the same or similar name so that you have the opportunity to update your name or at least be “in the know”.
What If I Don’t Want My Name Copied?!
Many people don’t know that derby names registries are even a thing, so they honestly don’t know that the name they have worked so hard to come up with, that identifies them to the fullest degree, already officially exists.
Currently, there isn’t recourse for someone copying your name, no matter if they did it knowingly or just by chance. The registration process is essentially an honor system. We recommend that your roller derby team’s master roster, including skater names, numbers, league name, and team name(s), are reported to the multiple registries online. There is no standardization yet, but we hope that as the sport grows, there will be! If uniqueness matters to you, it’s best to check if your team or individual name is registered before you claim it. However, keep in mind that it could be re-used.
But, every true roller derby player out there should stand proud! Roller derby has come SO far within the last few years. Globally, this is a huge sport gaining popularity in so many ways. Read our article, “2015 Roller Derby Recap: What a Difference a Year Makes!” to get all of the exciting derby news highlights from 2015.
Do YOU think roller derby names should be allowed to be used by more than one skater? Let us know in the Comments!
Can I Register My Name as a Junior Derby Skater?
Of course! Junior derby skaters can use the JRDA (Junior Roller Derby Association) website to research and register their derby names as well.
Need Derby Names Ideas? Use an Online Name Generator!
If you need to decide the perfect derby name and just can’t quite think of the best one for you, there are a lot of resources out there to get the perfect name based on what you like, do, watch, etc. to give you ideas to get your wheels spinning! (Pun intended!)
Name generators online are super fun, and even if you don’t LOVE the name that comes out, it’s something to get you started and give you a laugh. One site, The Roller Derby Name Generator, gives out fun derby names based on gender or first and last names. I mean, what’s cooler than “The Diva Mincer”?!?! Other sites like BuzzFeed and HelloQuizzy have name generators too.
Tips for Creating a Great Roller Derby Name
If you want to be creative and come up with your own derby name, here are some resources and tips. First, you want to pick a name that is easy to pronounce when seen in writing (think not only of your fans and teammates, but also your announcers). Some skaters take inspiration from favorite cartoon characters, musicians, adult beverages, art, plays, celebrities, puns, certain 4-letter words, foods or cuisine, books, movies, bands or celebrities, and countries or heritage. It’s usually a play on words, but keep it short and sweet. And please, stay away from X-rated options, even if your pun is oh so clever. Think of the children! No matter what derby name you choose, it should be important and meaningful to you.
Derby names are what skaters use to identify their style and give them a personality on the track. Having an alter-ego is a roller derby trademark and one of the most entertaining aspects of the sport! We would like to say a special thank you and congratulations to all who are participating in the Best Derby Name of 2016 contest!