pen name

noun

1. a pseudonym used by an author; nom de plume.

pen name

noun

1. Also called: nom de plume. an author's pseudonym

Word History and Origins

Origin of pen name¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

The author said Winn was her maiden name, and she disliked her first name of Sally and decided to use her family name Raynor as a pen name.

From BBC

Another famous cartoon - he signed them Abu, after his pen name - from that time shows a man asking another: "What do you think of editors who are more loyal than the censor?"

From BBC

The series was then handed on to an author using the pen name Aubrey Clark for three more.

From BBC

John leads a quiet life of the mind, spending his days designing puzzles under the pen name Ludwig.

From Salon

I also write psychological thrillers under the pen name Sarah K. Stephens.

From Salon

When To Use

What is a pen name?

A pen name is a name, especially a completely fake one, under which an author publishes their work instead of using their real name.The term nom de plume means the exact same thing. There are many reasons an author may choose to use a pen name instead of their own name, such as to avoid controversy or to create a persona. Many women authors throughout history have used a male or gender-neutral pen name to get their work published due to bias against women writers. A famous example is Mary Ann Evans, who used the pen name George Eliot.A more general term for a pen name is pseudonym, which refers to any false name but is most commonly associated with writers.Example: Many people know that Mark Twain was the pen name of Samuel Clemens, but they don't realize he also published as Sieur Louis de Conte.