nom de plume

American  

[nom duh ploom, nawn duh plym] / ˌnɒm də ˈplum, nɔ̃ də ˈplüm /

noun

noms de plume plural

1. pen name.

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nom de plume British  

/ ˈnɒm də ˈpluːm /

noun

1. another term for pen name

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nom de plume Cultural  

1. French for “pen name”; an invented name under which an author writes. Mark Twain was the nom de plume of Samuel L. Clemens.

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Usage

What does nom de plume mean? A nom de plume is a name, especially a completely fake one, under which an author publishes their work instead of using their real name. The term pen name means the exact same thing. There are many reasons an author may choose to use a nom de plume instead of their own name, such as to avoid controversy or to create a persona. Many women authors throughout history have used a male or gender-neutral nom de plume to get their work published due to bias against women writers. A famous example is Mary Ann Evans, who used the nom de plume George Eliot. The term nom de plume technically only applies to writers, but it is sometimes applied to other artists or as a synonym for the more general term pseudonym (a fake name). The proper plural for nom de plume is noms de plume, but it is often seen as nom de plumes. Example: Many people know that Mark Twain was the nom de plume of Samuel Clemens, but they don't realize he also published as Sieur Louis de Conte.

Etymology

Origin of nom de plume

First recorded in 1815–25; coined in English, from French words: literally, “pen name”

Example Sentences

Dr. Daniels, 76, is a retired British psychiatrist who has written more than two dozen books—most of them under the nom de plume Theodore Dalrymple.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

He got his start singing in a church choir at the age of five, and earned his nom de plume from a childhood photo of him scowling in a bunny costume.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

As if those two didn’t pack enough co-headlining punch, Cat Power, the nom de plume of revered singer-songwriter Chan Marshall, opens.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 11, 2023

The novelist Grant Ginder is blessed with a byline so strong that it sounds like a nom de plume.

From New York Times • Apr. 18, 2022

In the prison debates I argued for the theory that King James himself was the real poet who used the nom de plume Shakespeare.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey