Pseudonym has its origins in the Greek adjective pseudōnymos, which means “bearing a false name.” 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 “Mark Twain,” Charles Lutwidge Dodgson assumed the pseudonym “Lewis Carroll,” and Mary Ann Evans used “George Eliot” 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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Perry-Bond also noted that allowing Doe to use a pseudonym would preserve public access to the case without resorting to more restrictive measures, such as sealing the court docket or closing the courtroom.—
James Cirrone,
FOXNews.com,
24 Oct. 2026 Terry, a pseudonym, said audience building on Instagram has become more difficult thanks to Reels.—
Andrew Zucker,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2026 Many of the women used pseudonyms to deliver their testimony in court and for identification in court documents.—Miami Herald,
20 Oct. 2026 Jack asked that he be referred to using a pseudonym for this article, citing his concerns about his upcoming visa renewal.—
Sneha Dhandapani,
CNN Money,
17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pseudonym
Word History
Etymology
French pseudonyme, from Greek pseudōnymos bearing a false name, from pseud- + onyma name — more at name