Pseudonym
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2008-07-09T10:35:33Z
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example using James Bond reference
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{{otheruses|Alias}}
A '''pseudonym''' is a fictitious name, also known as an ''alias'', used as an alternative to a person's legal name. In most legal systems, a person can assume a different name for non-[[fraud]]ulent purposes and use it as their legal name. In some cases, pseudonyms are adopted because it is part of a cultural or organizational tradition, as in the case of [[Religious name|devotional name]]s used by members of some religious orders and "cadre names" used by [[Communist party]] leaders such as [[Leon Trotsky|Trotsky]] and [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]].
Pseudonyms are also used to hide an individual's identity, as with writers' [[pen name]]s, graffiti artists, [[Resistance movement|resistance fighter]]s or terrorists' [[nom de guerre|noms de guerre]]; and computer [[Computer hacker|hackers]]' nicknames. An example is of the well known fictional spy character [[James Bond]] concealing his identity by using the pseudonym James St. John Smith in the film ''[[A View To A Kill]]''. [[Actor]]s, musicians, and other performers sometimes use a ''[[stage name]]'' to mask their original ethnic background, particularly in the early to mid-1900s. Stage names are also used to create a name which better matches their stage persona, as in the case of hip hop artists such as [[Ol' Dirty Bastard]] (who was known under at least six aliases); [[Black metal]] performers such as [[Nocturno Culto]]; and hardcore punk singers such as "Rat" of [[Discharge (band)|Discharge]].
The term is derived from {{lang-el|ψευδώνυμον}}, pseudónymon – literally "given a name by error, lie name" from {{lang-el|τὸ ψεύδος}}, pseúdos – the lie and {{lang-el|ὄνομα}}, ónoma – the name); pseudo + [[-onym]]: ''false name''. A pseudonym is distinct from an allonym, which is the name of another actual person, assumed by someone in authorship of a work of art; such as when [[ghostwriting]] a book or play, or in [[parody]], or when using a "front" name such as by [[screenwriter]]s [[blacklist]]ed in [[Hollywood]] in the 1950s and 1960s.
==Cultural or organizational traditions==
===Monarchies===
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 choice of an existing name may simply be a matter of tradition or intend to honour a specific predecessor, and/or emphasize the hereditary legitimacy of succession, or may actually convey a programme or intention.
===Religion===
In the tradition of various [[Roman Catholic religious order]]s and congregations, members abandon their birthname to assume a new, often unrelated, [[Religious name|devotional name]], often referring to an admired saint. For women, e.g., in the [[Society of the Helpers of the Holy Souls]], this reflects the [[mystical marriage]] as [[Bride of Christ (theology)|bride of Christ]].
In Buddhism a [[Dharma name]] is given during the traditional [[refuge ceremony]]. Practitioners of [[Wicca]] and other forms of [[Neopagan]] [[witchcraft]] often adopt a [[craft name]] or magical name.
===Cadre names===
Within [[Communist party|Communist parties]] and [[Trotskyism|Trotskyist]] organisations, noms de guerre are usually known as "party names" or "cadre names". While the practice originated during the revolutionary years after WW I, to conceal the identity of leaders, by the 1950s and 1960s, the practice was more of a tradition than an identity-concealment strategy. Some famous Communist Party names include [[Vladimir Lenin|Lenin]] (Vladimir Il'ich Ulyanov); [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]] (Yosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili); and [[Pol Pot]] (Saloth Sar).
===Political articles===
From the late [[18th century|eighteenth]] to early [[19th century|nineteenth]] centuries, it was established practice for political articles to be signed with pseudonyms. A well-known American was the pen name ''[[Publius]],'' used by [[Alexander Hamilton]], [[James Madison]], and [[John Jay]], in writing ''[[The Federalist Papers]]''.
==Concealment of identity==
===Literary pen names===
A [[pen name]] (or "nom de plume") is a pseudonym adopted by [[author]]s or their publishers to conceal their identity. One famous example of this is [[Samuel Clemens]] writing under the pen name [[Mark Twain]]. A pen name may be used if a writer's real name is likely to be confused with the name of another writer or notable individual, or if their real name is deemed to be unsuitable. Authors who write in fiction and non-fiction, or in different genres, may use pen names to avoid confusing their readers, as in the case mathematician Charles Dodgson, who wrote fantasy novels under the pen name [[Lewis Carroll]]. Some female authors use male pen names, particularly in the 19th century, when writing was a male-dominated profession. A pseudonym may also be used to hide the identity of the author, as in the case of [[Exposé (journalism)|exposé]] books about [[espionage]] or [[crime]], or explicit erotic fiction. Some prolific authors adopt a pseudonym to disguise the extent of their published output, e.g., [[Stephen King]] writing as [[Richard Bachman]]. Co-authors may choose to publish under a single pseudonym, e.g., [[Ellery Queen]], [[P. J. Tracy]], and [[Perri O'Shaughnessy]].
===Nom de guerre===
"Noms de guerre" (French phrase meaning "war name") were frequently adopted by recruits in the [[French Foreign Legion]] as part of the break with their past lives and by members of the [[French resistance]] during [[World War II]]. These pseudonyms are often adopted by military special forces soldiers such as members of the SAS and other similar units, [[Resistance movement|resistance fighter]]s, [[terrorism|terrorists]] and [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]]s to hide their identities and protect their families from reprisal. Some well-known noms de guerre include [[Andy McNab]] former SAS soldier, [[Carlos the Jackal]] for Ilich Ramírez Sánchez and [[Subcommandante Marcos]] for the leader of the [[Zapatista Army of National Liberation]] (EZLN).
===Brazilan martial arts===
In [[capoeira]], a Brazilian martial art, an ''apelido'' (pseudonym) is traditionally given to a capoeirista (Capoeira practitioner) at their first ''[[Capoeira#Special_events|batizado]],'' or promotion ceremony. Capoeiristas refer to each other almost exclusively by their Capoeira names, a tradition that dates prior to practicing Capoeira being legalized in Brazil. Since punishments for practicing Capoeira were often harsh, it was used as a means of remaining anonymous and protecting fellow practitioners from being caught, as well as any retribution their families might otherwise endure.
===Computer users===
For a person using a computer, a pseudonym can take the form of a ''handle'', a ''[[User (computing)|user]] name'', ''login name'', ''[[Avatar (virtual reality)|avatar]]'' or, sometimes, ''[[Screen name (computing)|screen name]]'', ''nick'' or ''nickname''. On the internet, [[pseudonymous remailer]]s 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 theft|identity]] to a pseudonym.
In online gaming [[Clan (computer gaming)#Organization|clans]], especially first person shooter games, in the [[demoscene]], or in a [[distributed computing]] project using [[Internet]]-connected computers, users or players often create a "clan name" when joining. Often they add the "clan tag" to their existing nick, but some create a new name altogether. In [[Computer hacker|Hacker]] culture, individuals will often use a ''handle'' or ''nym'' (short for ''pseudonym'') as their public identity in [[Real_life#Online|''RL'' or ''Real Life'']] while keeping their actual identity secret.
==Stage names==
===Film, theatre, and related activities===
When used by an [[actor]], performer or [[model (person)|model]], a pseudonym is a ''[[stage name]]'' or ''screen name''. Actors who are members of a marginalized 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. Screen names are also used to create a more marketable name, as in the case of Creighton Tull Chaney, who adopted the pseudonym [[Lon Chaney, Jr.]], a reference to his famous father [[Lon Chaney, Sr.]].
Pseudonyms are also used to comply with the rules of [[performing arts]] [[guilds]] ([[Screen Actors Guild|SAG]], [[Writers Guild of America|WGA]], [[AFTRA]], etc.), which do not allow performers to use an existing name, in order to avoid confusion. For example, these rules required film and television actor Michael Fox to add a middle initial and become [[Michael J. Fox]], to avoid being confused with another actor named Michael Fox.
While most stage names are not used to conceal a person's identity, the exception is the pseudonym [[Alan Smithee]], which is used by directors in the [[Directors Guild of America|DGA]] to remove their name from a film they feel was edited or modified beyond their artistic satisfaction. In theatre, the pseudonym [[George Spelvin|George or Georgina Spelvin]], [[David Agnew]] and [[Walter Plinge]] are used to hide the identity of a performer. Professional names are also common for [[DJ]]s in radio [[broadcasting]].
===Music===
Musicians and singers use pseudonyms to allow artists to collaborate with artists on other labels while avoiding the need to gain permission from their own labels. Rock singer-guitarist [[George Harrison]], for example, played guitar on [[Cream (band)|Cream]]'s song "[[Badge (song)|Badge]]" using a pseudonym. In classical music, some record companies issued recordings under pseudonyms in the 1950s and 1960s to avoid paying royalties. A number of popular budget LPs of piano music were released under the pseudonym [[Paul Procopolis]]. Pseudonyms are also used as stage names in Metal bands, like Pig Benis in Mushroomhead, and "133" in Slipknot. Some of these names have meanings to them as well, like that of Brian Hugh Warner, more commonly known as Marilyn Manson. Marilyn coming from Marilyn Monroe, and Manson from convicted serial killer Charles Manson.
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), [[Sean Combs|Diddy]] (formerly known as P. Diddy, and Puff Daddy), [[Ludacris]], [[LL Cool J]], Sam "Original Gangster" Biglari, and [[Chingy]]. [[Black metal]] artists also adopt pseudonyms, usually symbolizing dark values, such as [[Nocturno Culto]], Gaahl, Abbath, and Silenoz. In punk and hardcore punk, singers and band members often replace their real names with more "tough"-sounding stage names, such as [[Sid Vicious]] of the late 1970s band [[Sex Pistols]] and "Rat" of the early 1980s band [[The Varukers]] and the 2000s re-formation of [[Discharge (band)|Discharge]].
==Other types==
Pseudonyms are also adopted for other reasons. In some cases, people choose a new name for political reasons. Some Jewish politicians adopted Hebrew family names upon making [[aliyah]] to [[Israel]], dropping westernized surnames that may have been in the family for generations. [[David Ben Gurion]], for example, was born David Grün in Poland. He adopted his Hebrew name in 1910, when he published his first article in a Zionist journal in [[Jerusalem]]. In the 1960s, black civil rights campaigner [[Malcolm X]], (né Malcolm Little), adopted the 'X' to represent his unknown African ancestral name which was lost when his ancestors were brought to North America as slaves.
Famous pseudonyms of people who were neither authors nor actors include the [[architect]] [[Le Corbusier]] (né Charles Édouard Jeanneret); and the statistician Student (ne [[William Sealey Gosset]]), discoverer of [[Student's t-distribution|Student's <var>t</var>-distribution]] in [[statistics]].
When used by a radio operator, a pseudonym is a "handle," especially in [[Citizens' band radio#History|Citizens' band radio]].
==External links==
*[http://www.famousfolk.com/ An extensive list of pseudonyms]
*[http://www.trussel.com/books/pseudo.htm Another list of pseudonyms]
*[http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl101.html The U.S. copyright status of pseudonyms]
== See also ==
*[[Japanese alias]]
*[[Mononymous persons]]
[[Category:Pseudonyms|*]]
[[Category:Semantics]]
[[Category:Word play]]
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