Pseudonym

A pseudonym or allonym is a name, (sometimes legally adopted, sometimes purely fictitious), used by an individual as an alternative to their birth name.

When used by authors, a pseudonym is also called a pen name or (in French) nom de plume. This is an English expression: in France, such an alias is more commonly termed a nom de guerre, or "name of war".

When used by actors, performers, or models, a pseudonym is also called a stage name (or sometimes "screen name")

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

• Le Corbusier, the architect, was Charles Edouard Jeanneret.
• Alan Smithee was the name used by directorss who disown their own movie.
• David Agnew is used on BBC programmes where a writer's name cannot 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.
• Carlos the Jackal is the nom de guerre of Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, a terrorist
• Hambali is Riduan Isamuddin, the leader of Jemaah Islamiah, a terrorist group; he was born Encep Nurjaman
• Abu Mazen is Mahmoud Abbas, the former prime minister of the State of Palestine
• Abu Ammar was PLO leader Yasser Arafat's nom de guerre, although this name is no longer widely used
• Abu Ala is the name that Ahmed Qurei uses

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:

• List of pseudonyms
• A N Other
• anonymity
• pseudonymity
• nickname
• secret identity
• stage name

External Link

• List of pseudonyms.