Pseudonymen

Pseudonymen, or pseudonyms, are fictitious names used by authors, artists, performers, and other public figures to conceal or alter their identity, or to craft a distinct professional persona. A pseudonym may be adopted for privacy, marketing, gender-related reasons, political safety, or to separate different kinds of work. A pseudonym can be permanent or temporary, and some creators publish under multiple names.

The term derives from the Greek pseudo- and onoma, meaning false name; in English and other languages, the French expression nom de plume is also used to describe a similar practice for writers, while stage names serve actors and musicians.

In literature, pseudonyms are common: authors use pen names to publish material without revealing true identity, to circumvent censorship, or to create a brand. Examples include Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans), and George Orwell (Eric Blair). Other well-known cases include Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) and Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel). In contemporary contexts, online handles and author-brand identities function as pseudonyms, enabling privacy or audience targeting.

Legal and ethical aspects: rights to work published under a pseudonym may be owned by the author, but contracts often require disclosure of legal name for publication, royalties, and tax purposes. Some pseudonyms are registered as trademarks or used in publishing imprints. Posthumous works, revivals, and pen-name recoveries can complicate authorship, but the work remains attributed to the chosen name.