Pseudonym has its origins in the Greek adjective pseudÅnymos, which means âbearing a false name.â French speakers adopted the Greek word as the noun pseudonyme, and English speakers later modified the French word into pseudonym. Many celebrated authors have used pseudonyms. Samuel Clemens wrote under the pseudonym âMark Twain,â Charles Lutwidge Dodgson assumed the pseudonym âLewis Carroll,â and Mary Ann Evans used âGeorge Eliotâ as her pseudonym.
Mark Twain is the pseudonym of the American writer Samuel L. Clemens.
the most notorious serial killer of the 19th century remains known only by the pseudonym of Jack the Ripper
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Felsen was the pseudonym of Nikolai Freudenstein.—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026 Eighteen-year-old Fernando Hernández GarcÃa, who is using a pseudonym to protect the safety of his family in Mexico, is speaking on behalf of his 11-year-old sister.—Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026 The high school students, who are seeking to proceed under pseudonyms, filed the lawsuit in California, where xAI â Musk's artificial intelligence company â has its headquarters.—ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026 The high school students, who are seeking to proceed under pseudonyms, filed the lawsuit in California, where xAI â Muskâs artificial intelligence company â has its headquarters.—Travis Loller, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pseudonym
Word History
Etymology
French pseudonyme, from Greek pseudÅnymos bearing a false name, from pseud- + onyma name â more at name