cover names
Assumed false identities
Cover names are false identities or aliases used to conceal someone's true identity, typically in espionage, law enforcement, or witness protection.
Intelligence agents operate under cover names during missions; informants may be assigned cover names in police files.
The term emphasizes the protective function—the false name covers the real one: She used three different cover names during her years as an undercover agent.
- nicknameInformal substitute name
- anonymFake or hidden name
- aliasAdopted false name
- sobriquetDescriptive informal name
- monikerInformal designation for someone
pseudonym · avatar · nom de guerre · alter ego · handle · secret identity · incognito · spycraft · tradecraft · black ops · safe house · concealments · synonyms · umbrella term · fictional identity · nom de plume · aliases · pseudonyms
- pseudonymspseudonym, pseudonyms, nom de plume, alias, aliases
- namessurnames, nicknames, forenames, surname, nickname
cover namestrue names
Authentic identifying words
legal names · birth names · given names · Christian names · proper names
cover namesbiometric identification
Authentication through bodily characteristics
fingerprints · official documentation · self-disclosure · facial recognition · social security numbers
cover, name, covers, covered, covering, uncover, uncovered, discover, discovered