Editing Pseudonym (section)

===Stage names===
{{main|Stage name}}
When used by an actor, musician, radio disc jockey, model, or other performer or "show business" personality a pseudonym is called a ''stage name'', or, occasionally, a ''professional name'', or ''screen name''.

====Film, theatre, and related activities====
Members of a marginalized ethnic or religious group have often adopted stage names, typically changing their surname or entire name to mask their original background.

Stage names are also used to create a more marketable name, as in the case of Creighton Tull Chaney, who adopted the pseudonym [[Lon Chaney Jr.]], a reference to his famous father [[Lon Chaney]].

[[Chris Curtis (musician)|Chris Curtis]] of [[Deep Purple]] fame was christened as Christopher Crummey ("crummy" is UK slang for poor quality). In this and similar cases a stage name is adopted simply to avoid an unfortunate pun.

Pseudonyms are also used to comply with the rules of performing-arts [[guild]]s ([[Screen Actors Guild]] (SAG), [[Writers Guild of America, East]] (WGA), [[AFTRA]], etc.), which do not allow performers to use an existing name, in order to avoid confusion. For example, these rules required film and television actor Michael Fox to add a middle initial and become [[Michael J. Fox]], to avoid being confused with another actor named [[Michael Fox (American actor)|Michael Fox]]. This was also true of author and actress [[Fannie Flagg]], who shared her real name, Patricia Neal, with [[Patricia Neal|another well-known actress]]; [[Rick Copp]], who chose the pseudonym name Richard Hollis, which is also the name of a character in the anthology TV series ''[[Femme Fatales (TV series)|Femme Fatales]]''; and British actor [[Stewart Granger]], whose real name was James Stewart. The film-making team of [[Coen brothers|Joel and Ethan Coen]], for instance, share credit for editing under the alias Roderick Jaynes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2008/01/roderick_jaynes_imaginary_osca.html |title=Roderick Jaynes, Imaginary Oscar Nominee for "No Country" – Vulture |date=22 January 2008 |publisher=Nymag.com |access-date=14 October 2012}}</ref>

Some stage names are used to conceal a person's identity, such as the pseudonym [[Alan Smithee]], which was used by directors in the [[Directors Guild of America]] (DGA) to remove their name from a film they feel was edited or modified beyond their artistic satisfaction. In theatre, the pseudonyms [[George Spelvin (pseudonym)|George or Georgina Spelvin]], and [[Walter Plinge]] are used to hide the identity of a performer, usually when he or she is "doubling" (playing more than one role in the same play).

[[David Agnew]] was a name used by the BBC to conceal the identity of a scriptwriter, such as for the [[Doctor Who]] serial ''[[City of Death]]'', which had three writers, including [[Douglas Adams]], who was at the time of writing, the show's script editor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/cityofdeath/detail.shtml|title=BBC – Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide – City of Death – Details|work=bbc.co.uk|access-date=18 July 2015}}</ref> In another Doctor Who serial, ''[[The Brain of Morbius]]'', writer [[Terrance Dicks]] demanded the removal of his name from the credits saying it could go out under a "bland pseudonym".{{citation needed|date=December 2018}}<ref name="codenames"/> This ended up as "Robin Bland".<ref name="codenames">{{cite web |first=William |last=Gallagher |url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2012-03-27/doctor-whos-secret-history-of-codenames-revealed |title=Doctor Who's secret history of codenames revealed |work=[[Radio Times]] |date=27 March 2012 |access-date=31 March 2013 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227211038/http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2012-03-27/doctor-whos-secret-history-of-codenames-revealed |archive-date=27 February 2015}}</ref><ref>Howe, Walker and Stammers ''Doctor Who the Handbook: The Fourth Doctor'' pp. 175–176.</ref>

Pornographic actors regularly use stage names.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://intellectualtakeout.org/2017/10/porn-star-why-we-should-probably-lose-the-term/ |title='Porn Star': Why We Should Probably Lose the Term |work=Intellectual Takeout |last=Miltmore |first=John |date=26 October 2017 |access-date=7 February 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.delawareonline.com/story/opinion/columnists/2014/03/12/college-porn-star-reflects-base-culture/6342543 |title=College porn star reflects base culture |work=Delaware Online |last=Marcus |first=Ruth |date=12 March 2014 |access-date=7 February 2025}}</ref><ref>Confessions of a Porn Addict, ''The Spectator'', 10 November 2001, p. 34</ref> Sometimes these are referred to as ''nom de porn'' (like with ''nom de plume'', this is English-language users creating a French-language phrase to use in English). Having acted in pornographic films can be a serious detriment to finding another career.<ref>{{cite book |title=Stigma and the Shaping of the Pornography Industry
|first=Georgina |last=Voss |publisher=Routledge |date=2015 |page=52}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Microgenre: A Quick Look at Small Culture |editor-first=Anne H. |editor-last=Stev |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |date=2020 |page=99}}</ref>

====Music====
{{more citations needed|section|date=September 2018}}
Musicians and singers can use pseudonyms to allow artists to collaborate with artists on other labels while avoiding the need to gain permission from their own labels, such as the artist [[Jerry Samuels]], who made songs under Napoleon XIV. Rock singer-guitarist [[George Harrison]], for example, played guitar on [[Cream (band)|Cream]]'s song "[[Badge (song)|Badge]]" using a pseudonym.<ref name="John Wynn">{{cite book |last=Winn |first=John |year=2009 |title=That Magic Feeling: The Beatles' Recorded Legacy, Volume Two, 1966–1970 |publisher=Three Rivers Press |isbn=978-0-307-45239-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LdsMqbAQJWgC |page=229}}</ref> In classical music, some record companies issued recordings under a ''nom de disque'' in the 1950s and 1960s to avoid paying royalties. A number of popular budget LPs of piano music were released under the pseudonym [[Paul Procopolis]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saga Remembered by Robin O'Connor - February 2007 MusicWeb-International |url=http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2007/Feb07/saga_remembered.htm |access-date=2022-04-18 |website=www.musicweb-international.com}}</ref> Another example is that [[Paul McCartney]] used his fictional name "Bernerd Webb" for [[Peter and Gordon]]'s song [[Woman (Paul McCartney song)|Woman]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.45cat.com/record/5579 |title=45cat – Peter And Gordon – Woman / Wrong From The Start – Capitol – USA – 5579 |publisher=45cat |access-date=30 June 2018}}</ref>

Pseudonyms are used as stage names in [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] bands, such as [[Tracii Guns]] in [[LA Guns]], [[Axl Rose]] and [[Slash (musician)|Slash]] in [[Guns N' Roses]], [[Mick Mars]] in [[Mötley Crüe]], [[Dimebag Darrell]] in [[Pantera]], or [[C.C. Deville]] in [[Poison (American band)|Poison]]. Some such names have additional meanings, like that of Brian Hugh Warner, more commonly known as [[Marilyn Manson]]: Marilyn coming from [[Marilyn Monroe]] and Manson from convicted serial killer [[Charles Manson]]. [[Jacoby Shaddix]] of [[Papa Roach]] went under the name "Coby Dick" during the ''[[Infest (album)|Infest]]'' era. He changed back to his birth name when ''[[lovehatetragedy]]'' was released.

[[David Johansen]], front man for the hard rock band [[New York Dolls]], recorded and performed pop and lounge music under the pseudonym Buster Poindexter in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The music video for Poindexter's debut single, [[Hot Hot Hot (Arrow song)#Buster Poindexter version|Hot Hot Hot]], opens with a monologue from Johansen where he notes his time with the New York Dolls and explains his desire to create more sophisticated music.

[[Ross Bagdasarian Sr.]], creator of [[Alvin and the Chipmunks]], wrote original songs, arranged, and produced the records under his real name, but performed on them as [[David Seville]]. He also wrote songs as Skipper Adams. Danish pop pianist [[Bent Fabric]], whose full name is Bent Fabricius-Bjerre, wrote his biggest instrumental hit "[[Alley Cat (song)|Alley Cat]]" as Frank Bjorn.

For a time, the musician [[Prince (musician)|Prince]] used an unpronounceable "[[Prince (musician)#Pseudonyms|Love Symbol]]" as a pseudonym ("Prince" is his actual first name rather than a stage name). He wrote the song "[[Sugar Walls]]" for [[Sheena Easton]] as "Alexander Nevermind" and "[[Manic Monday]]" for [[the Bangles]] as "Christopher Tracy". (He also produced albums early in his career as "Jamie Starr").

Many Italian-American singers have used stage names, as their birth names were difficult to pronounce or considered too ethnic for American tastes. Singers changing their names included [[Dean Martin]] (born Dino Paul Crocetti), [[Connie Francis]] (born Concetta Franconero), [[Frankie Valli]] (born Francesco Castelluccio), [[Tony Bennett]] (born Anthony Benedetto), and [[Lady Gaga]] (born Stefani Germanotta)

In 2009, the British rock band [[Feeder (band)|Feeder]] briefly changed their name to [[Renegades (band)|Renegades]] so they could play a whole show featuring a set list in which 95 per cent of the songs played were from their forthcoming new album of the same name, with none of their singles included. Front man [[Grant Nicholas]] felt that if they played as Feeder, there would be uproar over his not playing any of the singles, so used the pseudonym as a hint. A series of small shows were played in 2010, at 250- to 1,000-capacity venues with the plan not to say who the band really are and just announce the shows as if they were a new band.

In many cases, hip-hop and rap artists prefer to use pseudonyms that represents some variation of their name, personality, or interests. Examples include [[Iggy Azalea]] (her stage name is a combination of her dog's name, Iggy, and her home street in [[Mullumbimby]], Azalea Street), [[Ol' Dirty Bastard]] (known under at least six aliases), [[Sean Combs|Diddy]] (previously known at various times as Puffy, P. Diddy, and Puff Daddy), [[Ludacris]], [[Flo Rida]] (whose stage name is a tribute to his home state, [[Florida]]), British-Jamaican hip-hop artist [[Stefflon Don]] (real name Stephanie Victoria Allen), [[LL Cool J]], and [[Chingy]]. [[Black metal]] artists also adopt pseudonyms, usually symbolizing dark values, such as [[Nocturno Culto]], [[Gaahl]], Abbath, and Silenoz. In punk and hardcore punk, singers and band members often replace real names with tougher-sounding stage names such as [[Sid Vicious]] of the late 1970s band [[Sex Pistols]] and "Rat" of the early 1980s band [[The Varukers]] and the 2000s re-formation of [[Discharge (band)|Discharge]]. The punk rock band [[The Ramones]] had every member take the last name of Ramone.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}

Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., an American singer-songwriter, used the stage name [[John Denver]]. The Australian country musician born Robert Lane changed his name to [[Tex Morton]]. Reginald Kenneth Dwight legally changed his name in 1972 to [[Elton John]].