Pseudonym: Encyclopedia - Pseudonym

Pseudonym

A pseudonym (Greek: false name) is a fictitious name used by an individual as an alternative to his or her legal name. A pseudonym is distinct from an allonym, which is the name of another actual person assumed by one person, usually historical, in authorship of a work of art; e.g., when ghostwriting a book or play, or in parody, or when using a front such as by screenwriters blacklisted in Hollywood in the '50s, '60s, and '70s. To be pseudonymous means that the person is using a pseudonym. The concept of real name is the antonym, meaning a full legal name, or some recognisable shortened form of it such as Fred Smith for Frederick John Smith, with or without titles (Dr. and so on).

In some cases, the pseudonym has become the legal name of the person using it.

Pseudonym - Pseudonyms in print

When used by an author, a pseudonym is also called a pen name (or in French nom de plume.)

Some authors use pseudonyms for a variety of reasons; for example, to experiment with a new genre without the risk of upsetting regular readers. One author may have several pseudonyms depending on the genre. This use of pseudonyms is especially common if the new genre is of a somewhat risqué nature; such was the case of Pauline Réage, the pseudonym under which an editorial secretary with a reputation of near-prudery published Histoire d'O (Story of O), an erotic novel of sadomasochism and sexual slavery.

Occasionally, a pseudonym is employed to avoid overexposure. Prolific authors for pulp magazines often had two and sometimes three short stories appearing in one issue of a magazine; the editor would create several fictitious author names so that readers would not realize this.

Popular authors also sometimes use pseudonyms to distinguish different types of writing. For instance, mathematician Charles Dodgson used Lewis Carroll for his fantastic fiction. Science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein set his early stories in a single future history; when he wrote stories not in this setting he used pseudonyms to avoid confusing readers. He also wrote stories under pseudonyms so that John W. Campbell could publish more of his work in his magazine at the same time. These stories were later reprinted under his real name.

Pseudepigraphy, a particular form of pseudonym or pen name, is the technique of adopting the name of well-known figures as the publicly ascribed author on whom the actual writers attempt to pass off their work — typically to attain greater interest or credibility or pious tradition. It was traditionally employed in the Western world from Hellenistic times all the way up to the Middle Ages, particularly in theology and scripture. Examples include Pseudo-Dionysius or, according to liberal scholars, the ascribed Solomonic authorship of the Song of Songs.

A pseudonym may also be used to protect the writer, as in the case of Andy McNab the former SAS soldier famous for his book about a failed SAS mission titled Bravo Two Zero. (However, some critics have suggested that the primary motivation here may have been to boost the mystique of the SAS to help market McNab's books.) Ibn Warraq has been used by dissident Muslim authors.

Pseudonym - Regnal name

In many monarchies, the prince starting his reign chooses his official name (regnal name) to be used hence, which may differ from his (birth) name till then; sometimes he selects one of his existing names, sometimes a completely different one. The same is true of the newly elected Pope, where it fits just as well in the monastic tradition of choosing a new religious name when entering orders.

The choice of an existing name may simply be a matter of tradition or intend to honour a specific predecessor, and/or emphasize the hereditary legitimity of succession, or may actually convey a programme or intention.

Pseudonym - Nom de guerre

Pseudonyms are adopted by resistance fighters, terrorists and guerrillas often to make enquiries more difficult, to seek and create an aura of mystery, and to protect their families from reprisal, although other reasons may often be included. The expression nom de guerre (IPA: /nɒm də gɛɹ/, "name of war") is often used for such pseudonyms (though this expression is rarely, if ever, actually used in French). It is occasionally used as a stylish substitute for nom de plume.

Noms de guerre were frequently adopted by recruits in the French Foreign Legion as part of the break with their past lives. Pseudonyms used by some members of the French resistance were integrated into their last names after World War II; for instance, Jacques Delmas, alias Chaban, became Jacques Chaban-Delmas.

Another famous nom de guerre is Willy Brandt, adopted in 1934 by a German resistance fighter named Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm who had fled Germany for Norway. After his return to Germany, he had the name Willy Brandt officially recognised. He later became mayor of West-Berlin, West German foreign minister and West German chancellor.

Within Communist parties and Trotskyist organisations noms de guerre are usually known as party names. This took hold because revolutionaries were often persecuted by states (and also, in the case of Trotskyists, by pro-Soviet communist parties). Not only this, Athos, Porthos and Aramis in The Three Musketeers used those names instead of their real names: Le Comte de la Fère, M. du Vallon, and Chevalier d'Herblay, respectively.

Some of the more famous noms de guerre include:

• Che Guevara
• Carlos the Jackal
• Abu Ammar was PLO leader Yasser Arafat's nom de guerre
• Abu Ala is the nom de guerre of Ahmed Qurei
• Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, Jordanian terrorist with the possible real name "Ahmad Fadeel al-Nazal al-Khalayleh"

Some famous party names include:

• Fahd
• Lenin
• Freddie Forest (Raya Dunayevskaya) and J.R. Johnson (CLR James).

Pseudonym - The origin of nom de guerre

The assigning and adopting of noms de guerre was a long standing tradition in the French army, it certainly existed before 1651. In 1716 the practice became more formalised and the French army required all regular soldiers to have a nom de guerre. The names could be arrived at through the choice of the soldier, or perhaps the soldier’s company captain. Some of the naming practices adopted by particular companies enabled the men to be identifiable as members of their companies, much like a serial number: Practices such as assigning men the names of vegetables (the Company of Casaux of the Régiment de Boulonnois-infantrie, between 1764 to 1768).

These names would be retained by the soldiers when they left service and would often be passed on to their wives and children. It is important to understand the old French practice of assigning Noms de guerre when tracing French family histories.

Source: The Military Roots of the 'dit' Names by Luc Lépine (From December 2002 Connections © 2002 QFHS) Translated by Lorraine Gosselin. Sourced from: Quebec Family History Society website (http://www.cam.org/~qfhs/ main page) (http://www.cam.org/~qfhs/lib_connart4.html sourced page)

Pseudonym - Radio

When used by a radio operator, a pseudonym is a handle, especially in Citizens' band radio.

Pseudonym - Computers

For a person using a computer, a pseudonym is a user name or login name.

Pseudonym - Pseudonyms in entertainment

When used by an actor, performer, or model, a pseudonym is a stage name or screen name.

Actors — and others in show business — rarely use a pseudonym to disguise themselves. Actors who are members of a less-privileged ethnic or religious group have often adopted stage names, typically changing their surname or entire name to mask their original background — as has been done in other fields as well. This phenomenon was common in the United States in the first half of the twentieth century, as ethnic minorities began to attain a greater role in acting and films, yet social trends had not yet reached the point where such minorities would be accepted with their original non-mainstream identity. Popular Jewish comedian and "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart was born Jonathan Stewart Leibowitz. When asked why he dropped Leibowitz in a "60 Minutes" interview, Stewart explained that it "sounded too Hollywood".

John Wayne, building a reputation as a tough guy, felt that his given name, Marion Morrison, did not connote the image he sought to assume. Stan Laurel, born Arthur Stanley Jefferson, was apparently happy to be known as Stan Jefferson until he realised that it had thirteen letters.

In many cases, a screen name was constructed simply because a studio executive did not like the actor's real name. Today, the most common reason for a performer to adopt a pseudonym is that someone else has already achieved fame with that name. Performing arts guilds (SAG, WGA, AFTRA, etc.) enforce rules on the use of names formerly registered for credits, generally refusing to allow an identical name to be used again.

In some cases, a stage name is intended to separate the public persona from the private life. But while keeping a real name for private use may help one go unrecognized in public, it can rarely be kept entirely secret and may become an item of gossip in itself.

In the music world, pseudonyms have been used to allow artists to collaborate with artists on other labels while avoiding the need to gain permission from their own labels. George Harrison, for example, played guitar on Cream's song "Badge" (which he also co-wrote with Eric Clapton). He was credited on the recording as "L'Angelo Mysterioso" ("The Mysterious Angel").

Most hip hop artists prefer to use a pseudonym that represents some variation of their name, personality, or interests. Prime examples include Ol' Dirty Bastard (who was known under at least six aliases), Diddy (formerly known as Sean Combs, P. Diddy, and Puff Daddy), Ludacris, LL Cool J, and Chingy. See List of hip hop musicians.

Pseudonym - Other pseudonyms

Others in public life have adopted pseudonyms for many reasons. In the late eighteenth to early nineteenth centuries, it was established practice for political articles to be signed with pseudonyms, the most famous American example being the pen name Publius, used by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, in writing The Federalist Papers. Malcolm X, the civil rights campaigner, (born Malcolm Little), adopted the 'X' to represent his unknown African ancestral name. Many Jewish politicians re-adopted Hebrew family names on return to Israel, dropping westernized versions that may have been in the family for generations; Golda Meir, for example, was born Golda Mabovitz in Russia, and lived in USA before emigrating to Palestine; she adopted her Hebrew name on becoming a government minister in 1956.

Famous pseudonyms of people who were neither authors nor actors include:

• Le Corbusier, the architect, was Charles Édouard Jeanneret.
• Aphex Twin, prolific techno artist Richard D. James, who uses up to 11 other different names on various releases.
• Alan Smithee is a name commonly used by directors who want to disown their own movie.
• George Spelvin and Georgina Spelvin are names used in American theater when the actor playing the part is unknown at printing time, wishes to remain anonymous, or the part is double cast or played by an actor who plays more than one character in the cast.
• Luther Blissett is a shared pseudonym often used for activist and artistic purposes, especially in the Italian art scene.
• David Agnew is used on BBC programmes where a writer's name cannot be used for contractual reasons.
• Nicolas Bourbaki was a famous pseudonym for a group of mathematicians.
• Student was William Sealey Gosset, discoverer of Student's t-distribution in statistics.
• Hambali is Riduan Isamuddin, the leader of Jemaah Islamiah, a terrorist group; he was born Encep Nurjaman

On the internet, pseudonymous remailers utilising cryptography can be used to achieve persistent pseudonymity, so that two-way communication can be achieved, and reputations can be established without linking a physical identity to a pseudonym.

See also

• -onym
• List of pseudonyms
• A. N. Other
• Anonymity
• John Doe
• Personally identifiable information
• Pseudonymity
• Nickname
• Secret identity
• Stage name

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Pseudonym", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki