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What pseudonym did author Samuel Clemens use?

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pseudonym

American  

[sood-n-im] / ˈsud n ɪm /

noun

• pseudonyms
  plural

1. a fictitious name used especially by an author to conceal their identity; pen name.

   Synonyms:

   nom de plume, alias

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pseudonym British  

/ ˈsjuːdəˌnɪm /

noun

1. a fictitious name adopted, esp by an author

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Usage

What is a pseudonym? A pseudonym is a false or fictitious name, especially one used by an author. When an author uses a pseudonym, it can also be called a pen name or a nom de plume. There are many reasons an author may choose to use a pseudonym 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 pseudonym to get their work published due to bias against women writers. A famous example is Mary Ann Evans, who used the pseudonym George Eliot. The word pseudonym can refer to a fake or false name used by anyone, not just writers. It’s typically used so a person can remain anonymous. In legal proceedings, the pseudonyms John Doe, Jane Doe, Richard Roe, and Jane Roe are used in​ when a person’s name is being kept anonymous. Such names can also be called anonyms. Example: A lot of people use pseudonyms when posting controversial opinions online.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pseudonymity
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• pseudonyms
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pseudonym

First recorded in 1840–50; from Greek pseudṓnymon “false name”; see pseud-, -onym

Explanation

A pseudonym is a name that someone, often a writer, uses instead of their real name. The real name of Dr. Seuss was Theodore Seuss Geisel. Mark Twain was a pseudonym for the writer Samuel Clemens. A near synonym of pseudonym is pen name. Similarly, an allonym is the name of an important person in history that is taken by a writer as a pseudonym. Some of Shakespeare's plays might have been written by other writers using an allonym. If an actor uses a fake name, it is usually called a stage name. And there's no fancy work for nickname — it's just what your family and friends call you.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pseudonym pseudonyms

The leaks are attributed to an account with the pseudonym Cyberleek, whose author or authors claim to be acting to expose the industry's business practices.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

Part of the challenge related to a WhatsApp chat group where commissioners were allegedly urged to reflect on any opinions about Drumcree expressed by an online commentator who used the pseudonym 'Choyaa'.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Factually, it’s baloney, although “Tony” does restore the restaurant’s actual name — the Flagship — from Bourdain’s Dreadnaught, the pseudonym he gave it before he ever imagined future fans following him around the world.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

She used the pseudonym “Petera Falk,” a reference to the actor who played TV detective Columbo.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026

I want to ask the magazine The Prince if they’ll take one of my fairy tales, under a pseudonym, of course.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

All entrants in the main literature prizes in the National Eisteddfod compete under pseudonyms, as a part of the festival's strict confidentiality rule.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

Four women, who use the pseudonyms Isabella, Justine, Elizabeth and Margo and founded the "No One Above" advocacy group, have now been recognised as victims of human trafficking.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

The indictment names him as Thomas Doyle, saying that he also used the pseudonyms A.J. and Austin Doyle.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 11, 2026

The women, who usually use only their first names or online pseudonyms, are expected to sit at the studio table for up to nine hours, with no breaks.

From Salon ● Nov. 21, 2025

I would venture to guess that these were pseudonyms.

From "Paper Towns" by John Green

Related Words

• alias
• stage name