What is the viral ‘name a woman’ TikTok trend?

Following on the heels of the TikTok trend that asked men how often they think about the Roman Empire comes another trend, with this one involving the name of a woman.

The latest trend involves couples, and sees women asking their husbands or boyfriends to provide the name of any woman out of the blue. Based on the name that first comes to his mind, viewers and commenters then determine whether or not the man in question gave an “acceptable” answer.

In an ideal scenario, the man is supposed to respond with the name of his significant other, but some people have also accepted A-list celebrities like Zendaya or Taylor Swift. Historical figures have also been deemed acceptable answers as well, with some men naming Hillary Clinton or Susan B Anthony in response to the prompt. One of the only answers that has drawn concern is when a man responds with a common woman’s name that isn’t his partner’s.

For example, one video made by a TikToker named Angela featured her asking her boyfriend the question. “Is this a trick?” he asked her. “No,” she replied. After giving the name Madison, she inserted a fake funeral announcement for him with a caption that read: “I’m DONE with him.”

The TikTok went on to receive over six million views since it was first posted on Wednesday 6 December. Many commenters tried to give Angela’s boyfriend the benefit of the doubt by coming up with celebrities that might have had the first name “Madison.”

A few commenters suggested he was referring to Madison Beer, while others joked with names like Madison Square Garden or James Madison. Others in the comments section joked that Angela telling her boyfriend that she wasn’t “tricking him” was actually false.

“If she says it’s ‘not’ a trick then it’s a trick,” one commenter wrote. Another agreed, writing: “It’s not a trick it’s a trap.”

Despite the viral videos appearing to not be taken very seriously, Yasmine Saad, a licensed clinical psychologist, said in an interview with Business Insider that there could be more consequential results for couples.

For example, she said the man could give the name of a woman his partner might have feared he is interested in, or even name a woman that has wronged her in the past. “In all cases, this challenge is based on the idea that there is something hidden and by asking an innocuous question, their partner will either pass a test or not,” Saad said.

“Depending on the answer, the partner is either betraying the woman or is not triggering negative emotions and therefore passing the test.”

Another similar viral trend is the orange peel theory. The theory focuses on acts of service, such as if your partner peels an orange for you without being asked. A partner who does little things to make your life easier or your day a little brighter – like doing the dishes without asking or spontaneously buying them a bouquet of their favourite flowers – is a keeper, according to the orange peel theory. It’s all about doing something for the other just because they can, not because they have to.

User @NeaNotMia on TikTok added that the theory is at work if your partner does something for you even if you’re perfectly capable of doing it yourself.

“It might not literally be about peeling the orange,” @NeaNotMia explained in a TikTok video. “They might be asking you for [a] small favour to see your reaction, to see if later they can ask you for a bigger favour. And how are you going to make them feel when they ask you to do that for them?”