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Alias / Pseudonym
How do you choose a pseudonym?- just a random name you like- the same meaning as your real name- Same initial(s) as yours- Matching the scenario (spy, romance author, fake name to a guy at the bar etc) - Abbreviation of your name (Amelia —> Milly) - A creative “abbreviation” of your name (Bella —> Lala, Jennifer — Ennise) Thoughts?
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Well, I choose my BtN screen name because it reflected who I was: somebody random. I also partly chose it because I couldn’t think of anything better.If I were to choose an alias for something else, I guess it would depend on the circumstance.
I usually just choose a fitting name that I like, or my first initial.
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When I worked in an airline reservations call center I chose Vicky Ruby (fn, ln). Ruby is an irl ln, btw. Jack Ruby shot to death Lee Harvey Oswald, the suspect in the deadly shooting of US President John Kennedy. Vicky was the name of my dog and Ruby was the name of my rabbit. Later at the call center I chose not to have a ln and just used Elizabeth. I chose Elizabeth because it is not associated with any particular period, at least in the US. Elizabeth has remained popular for quite some time. When I moved over to Customer Care I had to use my real name, which I hated having to do. Customer Care dealt with some truly deranged individuals, at times.
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Just a random name I like. When I first started posting here as a guest I was SaffronR, just a name I liked and a random letter.
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It depends how important it was not to be found out. If I was playing a character in a role-playing game, I think I'd choose something that was appropriate to the character (Mary Jane Conway for a 1960s housewife, Lady Augusta Marlborough for a 19th-century British high-society dame, etc.)
If it was just for the fun of being someone else, like writing romances, I'd just choose something I liked and that sounded good. (And that wasn't some other romance author's name.)If I was really concerned about being found out, I'd choose a not very distinctive or memorable name. And nothing related to my own name. Something age-appropriate; not Madison at my age, and not Edna either.
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Never had to - except for screen names, and they're not usually name-names.However there is one; I was Penny once. I don't know why I put in Penny. It happens to be the surname of my old best friend, but I don't think that was why I chose it (or maybe it was). I'd probably default to Penny if I had to, and perhaps choose my grandmother's maiden name, Elliott (So Penelope Elliott). I'd use my mother's maiden name, but it's rather distinctive.Other names I might choose on-the-fly;Alexandra (my brother is Alexander)
Chantelle (similarity to Charlotte, my real name)
Rebecca (the name of multiple friends)So I'd say I choose a name I've got a personal connection with

This message was edited 10/17/2020, 3:18 AM

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Here's a personal connection of mine: I knew a Penny Elliott once, but her given names were Yvonne Frances. When she was a baby, she used to make squeaking noises and was nicknamed Penny Squeaker. As she grew, the Squeaker dropped off but the Penny remained until adulthood and, probably, beyond. We lost touch years ago, but I don't think she ever felt like an Yvonne.
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