pen name
Writer's false identity
A pen name is a fictitious name an author uses instead of their real one.
Writers adopt pen names for various reasons: to write in multiple genres without confusing readers, to conceal their identity, or to overcome bias—women have historically used male pen names to be taken seriously.
George Orwell was a pen name for Eric Blair.
Also called a pseudonym or nom de plume.
Adopted false name
- monikerInformal designation for someone
- sobriquetDescriptive informal name
- handlePart for gripping
- bynameSecondary name or epithet
nom de guerre · cognomen · appellation · persona · pseud
Article author identification
- writerCreator of texts
- novelistWriter of prose narratives
- authorCreator of written works
- essayistAuthor of short prose
columnist · biographer · playwright · poet · journalist · ghostwriter · coauthor · correspondent
Act of hiding something
- privacyFreedom from observation
- secrecyPractice of hiding information
- hidden identityConcealed true self
- disguiseIdentity-concealing alteration
incognito · veil · mask · cloak · undisclosed · confidential · obscured · untraceable
Systematic mistreatment of groups
- censorshipOfficial content restriction
- gender biasPrejudice based on sex
- scandalDisgraceful public affair
- controversyProlonged public disagreement
reputation · separation · reinvention · marketability · protection · liberation · experimentation · taboo
alias
Adopted false name
byname · nom de guerre · cognomen · appellation · persona · pseud
byline
Article author identification
essayist · columnist · biographer · playwright · poet · journalist · ghostwriter · coauthor · correspondent · wordsmith
concealment
Act of hiding something
- privacyFreedom from observation
- secrecyPractice of hiding information
- hidden identityConcealed true self
disguise · incognito · veil · mask · cloak · undisclosed · confidential · obscured · untraceable · secret identity
persecution
Systematic mistreatment of groups
- censorshipOfficial content restriction
- gender biasPrejudice based on sex
- scandalDisgraceful public affair
controversy · reputation · separation · reinvention · marketability · protection · liberation · experimentation · taboo · political risk
- namesgiven names, first names, names, surnames, last names
- nicknamesnickname, alias, handle, moniker, username
- anonymous writingghost writer, ghostwriting, alias
- Author Identitiesalias, ghost writer, byline, heteronym
- authorshipauthorship, author bio, byline, attributed, credited
- identifiersidentifier, title, rank, license, permit
pen namereal name
Actual given identity
true name · legal name · birth name · given name · proper name
name, pen, anonymous, pseudonym, anonym, nom de plume, pseudonyms, pen names