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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

John, who asked to be identified by a pseudonym because he is part of a lawsuit against his former employer, has been diagnosed with coal workers' pneumoconiosis, commonly called black lung disease.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

A brief mention of a pizza-spinning girlfriend is tossed off immediately after, replaced by vivid stories about his first summer working at the real-life Flagship, given the pseudonym The Dreadnaught.

From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026

Romy Wood from Cardiff submitted her entry titled Y Dderwen under the pseudonym Lithedora.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 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

I decided I'd surprise Jay Cee and send in a couple of the stories I wrote in this class under a pseudonym.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath

The song was co-credited to Who's British? - which turned out to be another of Ellis's many pseudonyms.

From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2026

Some of the posters use only initials or pseudonyms, like “Pumpkin Spice” or “Banana Slug.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 11, 2026

Avaaz gave the survivors who participated in the webinar pseudonyms for their safety.

From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2025

With ultra-low budgets, many of the productions are non-union, prompting some writers and actors to work under pseudonyms to avoid facing sanctions from their unions, said several people who work on the shows.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2025

I would venture to guess that these were pseudonyms.

From "Paper Towns" by John Green

Related Words

• alias
• stage name