ABSTRACT. Fictional names pose at least two kinds of problem: how, if at all, do they mean anything? And how, if at all, do they affect the truth or other semantic value of sentences in which they occur? Answering the first question is especially difficult if one holds both of the two opinions (1) that all genuine names have bearers and (2) that fictional names do not. Sainsbury takes for granted one of the views that lead to this difficulty, namely that many fictional names lack bearers.