In "The Wedding of River Song" (2011), it is implied that the Doctor's true name is a secret that must never be revealed; this is explored further in "The Name of the Doctor" (2013), when River Song speaking his name allows the Great Intelligence to enter his tomb, and in "The Time of the Doctor" (2013) where speaking his true name becomes the signal by which the Time Lords would know they can safely return to the universe.
I The Wedding of River Song (2011), bliver det hentydet til at Doktorens sande navn er en hemmelighed der aldrig må blive afsløret; dette bliver udforsket yderligere i The Name of the Doctor (2013), da River Song der siger hans navn tillader den Store Intelligens at træde indenfor hans grav, og i The Time of the Doctor (2013) hvor det at udtale hans sande navn bliver et signal ved hvilket Tidsherrerne ville vide at de kan trygt vende tilbage til universet.