Glossary:Pen name

Also sometimes referred to as nom de plume, pseudonym, artist name, and moniker (note: these terms are differentiated by nuanced implications and contextual variations). A name used by an individual that differs from the name by which they are otherwise socially known by or legally registered. May be used so as to maintain personal anonymity (for a historical example, see the case of the novelist George Elliot), to perform an alternative persona (ie. a drag name), for literary/artistic effect, or to reflect political affiliation.