diff --git a/serde_derive/src/de.rs b/serde_derive/src/de.rs
index 59cc173d6..2308ecd27 100644
--- a/serde_derive/src/de.rs
+++ b/serde_derive/src/de.rs
@@ -1040,7 +1040,7 @@ fn deserialize_struct(
     } else {
         let field_names = field_names_idents
             .iter()
-            .flat_map(|(_, _, aliases)| aliases);
+            .flat_map(|&(_, _, aliases)| aliases);
 
         Some(quote! {
             #[doc(hidden)]
@@ -1162,7 +1162,7 @@ fn deserialize_struct_in_place(
     let visit_map = Stmts(deserialize_map_in_place(params, fields, cattrs));
     let field_names = field_names_idents
         .iter()
-        .flat_map(|(_, _, aliases)| aliases);
+        .flat_map(|&(_, _, aliases)| aliases);
     let type_name = cattrs.name().deserialize_name();
 
     let in_place_impl_generics = de_impl_generics.in_place();
@@ -2001,7 +2001,7 @@ fn deserialize_untagged_newtype_variant(
 }
 
 fn deserialize_generated_identifier(
-    fields: &[(String, Ident, Vec<String>)],
+    fields: &[(&str, Ident, &[String])],
     cattrs: &attr::Container,
     is_variant: bool,
     other_idx: Option<usize>,
@@ -2131,7 +2131,7 @@ fn deserialize_custom_identifier(
         })
         .collect();
 
-    let names = names_idents.iter().flat_map(|(_, _, aliases)| aliases);
+    let names = names_idents.iter().flat_map(|&(_, _, aliases)| aliases);
 
     let names_const = if fallthrough.is_some() {
         None
@@ -2187,7 +2187,7 @@ fn deserialize_custom_identifier(
 
 fn deserialize_identifier(
     this_value: &TokenStream,
-    fields: &[(String, Ident, Vec<String>)],
+    fields: &[(&str, Ident, &[String])],
     is_variant: bool,
     fallthrough: Option<TokenStream>,
     fallthrough_borrowed: Option<TokenStream>,
diff --git a/serde_derive/src/internals/attr.rs b/serde_derive/src/internals/attr.rs
index c96d0a834..fea90aadb 100644
--- a/serde_derive/src/internals/attr.rs
+++ b/serde_derive/src/internals/attr.rs
@@ -173,17 +173,17 @@ impl Name {
     }
 
     /// Return the container name for the container when serializing.
-    pub fn serialize_name(&self) -> String {
-        self.serialize.clone()
+    pub fn serialize_name(&self) -> &str {
+        &self.serialize
     }
 
     /// Return the container name for the container when deserializing.
-    pub fn deserialize_name(&self) -> String {
-        self.deserialize.clone()
+    pub fn deserialize_name(&self) -> &str {
+        &self.deserialize
     }
 
-    fn deserialize_aliases(&self) -> Vec<String> {
-        self.deserialize_aliases.clone()
+    fn deserialize_aliases(&self) -> &[String] {
+        &self.deserialize_aliases
     }
 
     fn insert_deserialize_name_into_aliases(&mut self) {
@@ -986,7 +986,7 @@ impl Variant {
         &self.name
     }
 
-    pub fn aliases(&self) -> Vec<String> {
+    pub fn aliases(&self) -> &[String] {
         self.name.deserialize_aliases()
     }
 
@@ -1326,7 +1326,7 @@ impl Field {
         &self.name
     }
 
-    pub fn aliases(&self) -> Vec<String> {
+    pub fn aliases(&self) -> &[String] {
         self.name.deserialize_aliases()
     }
 
diff --git a/serde_derive/src/ser.rs b/serde_derive/src/ser.rs
index d6aba7713..dc02466f5 100644
--- a/serde_derive/src/ser.rs
+++ b/serde_derive/src/ser.rs
@@ -566,7 +566,7 @@ fn serialize_externally_tagged_variant(
             },
             params,
             &variant.fields,
-            &type_name,
+            type_name,
         ),
     }
 }
@@ -631,7 +631,7 @@ fn serialize_internally_tagged_variant(
             StructVariant::InternallyTagged { tag, variant_name },
             params,
             &variant.fields,
-            &type_name,
+            type_name,
         ),
         Style::Tuple => unreachable!("checked in serde_derive_internals"),
     }
@@ -698,7 +698,7 @@ fn serialize_adjacently_tagged_variant(
                 StructVariant::Untagged,
                 params,
                 &variant.fields,
-                &variant_name,
+                variant_name,
             ),
         }
     });
@@ -794,16 +794,16 @@ fn serialize_untagged_variant(
         Style::Tuple => serialize_tuple_variant(TupleVariant::Untagged, params, &variant.fields),
         Style::Struct => {
             let type_name = cattrs.name().serialize_name();
-            serialize_struct_variant(StructVariant::Untagged, params, &variant.fields, &type_name)
+            serialize_struct_variant(StructVariant::Untagged, params, &variant.fields, type_name)
         }
     }
 }
 
-enum TupleVariant {
+enum TupleVariant<'a> {
     ExternallyTagged {
-        type_name: String,
+        type_name: &'a str,
         variant_index: u32,
-        variant_name: String,
+        variant_name: &'a str,
     },
     Untagged,
 }
@@ -870,11 +870,11 @@ fn serialize_tuple_variant(
 enum StructVariant<'a> {
     ExternallyTagged {
         variant_index: u32,
-        variant_name: String,
+        variant_name: &'a str,
     },
     InternallyTagged {
         tag: &'a str,
-        variant_name: String,
+        variant_name: &'a str,
     },
     Untagged,
 }