Many people use pseudonyms, including authors (pen names) and performers (stage names). Some use pseudonyms to hide their identity, gender, and/or race. Performers (like rappers) sometimes use pseudonyms to match their stage personalities better.
Pseudonym comes from the Greek word ψευδώνυμον (pseudṓnymon), which means "false name".
Types of pseudonyms
Pen names
Pen names are pseudonyms used by authors, usually to hide identity.
Many famous books have been written by authors using pseudonyms. For example, Daniel Handler wrote A Series of Unfortunate Events under the pseudonym Lemony Snicket for two reasons. He wanted to make the author a character in the story, and he wanted to hide his real name.
When she published The Outsiders, Susan Eloise Hinton used the initials S. E. because she did not want readers to guess her gender. The Brontë sisters (Anne, Emily and Charlotte) used pseudonyms to hide the fact that they based many of their characters on their neighbors.
Other famous pen names include:
Dr. Seuss for children's author Theodor Seuss Geisel
Many musicians, actors and performers use stage names. These can hide the performer's identity; give them a more interesting name; make them stand out more; and/or create a unique artistic image.
The rules of SAG-AFTRA, a major American performer's union, say: "no member [may use] a professional name which is the same as, or resembles so closely as to tend to be confused with, the name of any other member."[1] For this reason, a performer might need to adopt an "alternate professional name" before they can join SAG-AFTRA.[1]
Many people on the Internet use pseudonyms. There are many names for these pseudonyms, including usernames, user IDs and handles. These pseudonyms help people stay anonymous on the internet, and they also protect people from identity theft and phishing.
When people log into an account on sites like Wikipedia, Reddit, or Facebook, their username helps identify them without entering their real name. If people used their real name instead of a username, it would create confusion for two people with the same name. Usernames make this simple, because people create their own usernames. Also, if someone used their real name, it would make it easier for people to guess their passwords and for other people to find them in real life.
Criminal pseudonyms
Sometimes criminals choose pseudonyms to hide their real names. In other cases, criminals take on nicknames given to them by others.
Henry McCarty became famous under the nickname Billy the Kid
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