I came across a lovely phrase today in my Gaelic class, ainm cleite; ainm (pronounced anum/anim) means name, and cleite which means feather… feather name which translates as pen name, and like the French ‘nom de plume’ it derives from the use of a quill to write with.
I’ve never been tempted to use a pen name… and I suppose I haven’t needed to, unlike the Brontë who had to disguised their gender, Charlotte, Anne and Emily with male names Currer, Acton and Ellis Bell, or the two Georges, Elliot, and Sand who were really Mary Ann Evans and Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin. I haven’t had to hide my identity for political or religious reasons, or for personal safety and security. Some writers conceal their true identity because they think they will have more success with a name from a different culture, or of a different gender, or maybe they don’t like their own given name, or maybe it has associations with something distracting from their work as writers.
But supposing I did have to find another name for myself… what would I choose and how? How about using a pin and either a telephone directory or an atlas? OK, here goes… well, directory didn’t work, I don’t think the name Gamestation Weston-super-Mare will draw many readers, or the sort of readers interested in my work! Second go… Hulse, not bad, now another name to go with it… E.M., E.M. Hulse. Well, maybe but I’ll try again… I’ll do it twice for a first name and a second name… Bradley Robert… Not very inspiring, try again… Gillham Vanlaun, no I don’t think so, it really does sound made up, even if I changed it slightly to Guillaume van Laun.
Not brilliant, so let’s try the atlas… oh I’ve landed in the sea, oops in the sea again… Shelsley Walsh (that is an actual place) Ellenbrook Withersfield, two places…. maybe should just stick to Ellen Brook. One last go with a pin twice in the atlas, first name and second name… Walland Erines – Wally E. Rines? … I give up, I think my own imagination is probably much better… and actually my own name is probably even better than that!
Summary of prospective feather names:
- Gamestation Weston-super-Mare
- E.M. Hulse
- Bradley Robert
- Gillham Vanlaun
- Guillaume van Laun
- Shelsley Walsh
- Ellenbrook Withersfield
- Ellen Brook
- Walland Erines
- Wally E. Rines
Lois Elsden 
Dear Gamestation, I can identify with this! The problem with being named by kinda-hippies is nobody can pronounce my name, which is so simple, correctly. DUH. And like you I haven’t had the impulse to more strongly identify with another moniker. In Native American culture, it is very common to be renamed upon entering a new life phase. I always liked “Fountainpen” myself 🙂 But one day maybe I’ll hit on the mark.
What I find interesting is how fiction writers come up with such varied and good names for their characters. I’m reading the “Game of Thrones” series now and they have great names! Benjen, Tommen, Cersei, Sansa, Arya. Melodic! If only we all had such great names! Happy New Year
xoxo
PS “Shelshey Walsh” already sounds tipsy lol
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Happy New year to you too, dear Fountainpen! Apparently kids are being named after the ‘Game of Thrones’ characters already! I think they are great names… only onto the second book,, slow going…
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