60+ Writers Who Are Known Primarily by Their Initials
Because I go by my initials everyday of my life, people started to ask me--in the days when I first started becoming a writer--if I was going to use a pseudonym--a pen name. At one point, I said 'no' simply because my name, as initials, sounded to me to be the name of a writer, but I really didn't know, at that moment, why I felt that. Later, when asked again if I would choose a name more in the tradition of "William Shakespeare," I cringed. I've never been a fan of Shakespeare. A great writer, to be sure, but, as I was required to go on Prozac every time I read one of his plays, his is not the style (writing style, life style, plot style) that I wanted to emulate. So I decided on the spot that I would prefer to stand in the company of those famous writers who go by their initials. Off hand, I could name only a handful, but over time, I noted so many that I started to keep track. Presently, I have the names of 34 writers of varying degrees of fame who are best known by their initials. That list follows. After that is a list of other people who are known by their initials. Both lists shall continue to grow over time. Enjoy!
NAME GIVEN NAME TYPE OF WRITER BEST KNOWN FOR
1. A. A. Milne (Alan Alexander) Children's story writer Winnie-the-Pooh
2. A. E. Housman (Alfred Edward) Poet
3. A. J. Mittendorf (Alfred John) Poet
4. A. K. Alexander -Pseudonym- Novelist
5. A. W. Tozer (Aiden Wilson) Apologist
6. B. B. King -Pseudonym- Song writer
7. C. J. Lyons /no information/ Novelist
8. C. S. Lewis (Clive Staples) Apologist / Novelist Chronicles of Narnia
9. C. S. Forester (Cecil Scott) Novelist
10. D. H. Lawrence (David Herbert) Novelist / Poet / Playwright
11. D. C. Fontana (Dorothy Catherine) Screenplay writer Star Trek
12. E. B. White (Elwyn Brooks) Children's novelist Charlotte's Web
13. E. E. Cummings (Edward Estlin) Poet
14. E. L. Thayer (Ernest Lawrence) Poet "Casey at the Bat"
15. E. J. Pratt (Edwin John) Poet
16. E. M. Forster (Edward Morgan) Essayist
17. E. V. Rieu (Emile Victor) Poet / Translator
18. G. K. Chesterton (Gilbert Keith) Novelist / Apologist
19. H. D. (Hilda Doolittle) Poet
20. H. G. Wells (Herbert George) Novelist The Time Machine
21. H. L. Mencken (Henry Louis) Essayist
22. H. P. Lovecraft (Howard Phillips) Novelist
23. J. D. Robb -Pseudonym- Novelist
24. J. D. Sallinger (Jerome David) Novelist The Catcher in the Rye
25. J. J. Abrams (Jeffrey Jacob) Screenwriter Star Trek reboot
26. J. K. Rolling (Joanne (Kathleen*)) Children's Novelist Harry Potter
27. J. M. Barrie (James Matthew) Playwright, Novelist Peter Pan
28. J. P. Donleavy (James Patrick) Novelist The Ginger Man
29. J. R. R. Tolkien (John Ronald Revel) Novelist The Lord of the Rings
30. J. T. Ellison /no information/ Novelist
31. J. W. McKenna (John /?/) Novelist
32. K. D. Lang (Kathryn Dawn) Song writer
33. K. N. Casper (Ken /?/) Novelist
34. L. J. Sellers /no information/ Novelist
35. L. J. Smith (Lisa Jane) Novelist
36. L. M. Montgomery (Lucy Maude) Novelist Anne of Green Gables
37. M. L. Buchman (Matthew Lieber) Novelist
38 O. Henry -Pseudonym- Short fiction writer "The Gift of the Magi"
39. P. D. James (Phyllis Dorothy) Novelist
40. P. G. Wodehouse (Pelham Grenville) Novelist / Poet / Playwright
41. P. J. O'Rourke (Patrick Jake) Political satirist
42. P. L. Travers (Pamela Lyndon) Children's novelist Mary Poppins
43. R. A. Salvatore (Robert Anthony) Novelist
44. R. D. Cumming /no information/ Short fiction writer
45. R. L. Stine (Robert Lawrence) Children's novelist
46. R. M. Ballantyne (Robert Michael) Novelist
47. R. S. Gwynn /no information/ Poet / Essayist
48. S. E. Hinton (Susan Eloise) Novelist The Outsiders
49. S. L. Carpenter (Scott /?/) Novelist
50. T. S. Eliot (Thomas Stearns) Poet
51. V. C. Andrews (Cleo Virginia) Novelist Flowers in the Attic
52. W. E. B. Du Bois (William Edward Burghardt) Novelist
53. W. E. D. Ross (William Edward Daniel) Novelist
54. W. B. Yeats (William Bulter) Poet
55. W. H. Auden (Wystan Hugh) Poet
56. W. W. Jacobs (William Wymark) Short fiction writer / Novelist "The Monkey's Paw"
Part B: First initial, middle name in full:
57. F. Marion Crawford (Francis) Novelist
58. F. Scott Fitzgerald (Francis) Novelist / Short fiction writer The Great Gatsby
59. J. Meade Falkner (John) Novelist
60. L. Frank Baum (Lyman) Children's novelist The Wizard of Oz
61. L. Ron Hubbard (Lafayette) Novelist Battlefield Earth
62. L. Sprague de Camp (Lyon) Novelist
63. W. Somerset Maugham (William) Playwright / Novelist
Part C: First name in full, middle initial:
64. Arthur C. Clarke (Charles) Novelist
65. Hunter S. Thompson (Stockton) Journalist
66. James A. Michener (Albert) Novelist
67. Ursula K. Le Guin (Kroeber) Novelist
68. William T. Vollmann (Tanner) Journalist / Novelist
69. Charles G. D. Roberts, Sir (George Douglas) Poet
2. A. E. Housman (Alfred Edward) Poet
3. A. J. Mittendorf (Alfred John) Poet
4. A. K. Alexander -Pseudonym- Novelist
5. A. W. Tozer (Aiden Wilson) Apologist
6. B. B. King -Pseudonym- Song writer
7. C. J. Lyons /no information/ Novelist
8. C. S. Lewis (Clive Staples) Apologist / Novelist Chronicles of Narnia
9. C. S. Forester (Cecil Scott) Novelist
10. D. H. Lawrence (David Herbert) Novelist / Poet / Playwright
11. D. C. Fontana (Dorothy Catherine) Screenplay writer Star Trek
12. E. B. White (Elwyn Brooks) Children's novelist Charlotte's Web
13. E. E. Cummings (Edward Estlin) Poet
14. E. L. Thayer (Ernest Lawrence) Poet "Casey at the Bat"
15. E. J. Pratt (Edwin John) Poet
16. E. M. Forster (Edward Morgan) Essayist
17. E. V. Rieu (Emile Victor) Poet / Translator
18. G. K. Chesterton (Gilbert Keith) Novelist / Apologist
19. H. D. (Hilda Doolittle) Poet
20. H. G. Wells (Herbert George) Novelist The Time Machine
21. H. L. Mencken (Henry Louis) Essayist
22. H. P. Lovecraft (Howard Phillips) Novelist
23. J. D. Robb -Pseudonym- Novelist
24. J. D. Sallinger (Jerome David) Novelist The Catcher in the Rye
25. J. J. Abrams (Jeffrey Jacob) Screenwriter Star Trek reboot
26. J. K. Rolling (Joanne (Kathleen*)) Children's Novelist Harry Potter
27. J. M. Barrie (James Matthew) Playwright, Novelist Peter Pan
28. J. P. Donleavy (James Patrick) Novelist The Ginger Man
29. J. R. R. Tolkien (John Ronald Revel) Novelist The Lord of the Rings
30. J. T. Ellison /no information/ Novelist
31. J. W. McKenna (John /?/) Novelist
32. K. D. Lang (Kathryn Dawn) Song writer
33. K. N. Casper (Ken /?/) Novelist
34. L. J. Sellers /no information/ Novelist
35. L. J. Smith (Lisa Jane) Novelist
36. L. M. Montgomery (Lucy Maude) Novelist Anne of Green Gables
37. M. L. Buchman (Matthew Lieber) Novelist
38 O. Henry -Pseudonym- Short fiction writer "The Gift of the Magi"
39. P. D. James (Phyllis Dorothy) Novelist
40. P. G. Wodehouse (Pelham Grenville) Novelist / Poet / Playwright
41. P. J. O'Rourke (Patrick Jake) Political satirist
42. P. L. Travers (Pamela Lyndon) Children's novelist Mary Poppins
43. R. A. Salvatore (Robert Anthony) Novelist
44. R. D. Cumming /no information/ Short fiction writer
45. R. L. Stine (Robert Lawrence) Children's novelist
46. R. M. Ballantyne (Robert Michael) Novelist
47. R. S. Gwynn /no information/ Poet / Essayist
48. S. E. Hinton (Susan Eloise) Novelist The Outsiders
49. S. L. Carpenter (Scott /?/) Novelist
50. T. S. Eliot (Thomas Stearns) Poet
51. V. C. Andrews (Cleo Virginia) Novelist Flowers in the Attic
52. W. E. B. Du Bois (William Edward Burghardt) Novelist
53. W. E. D. Ross (William Edward Daniel) Novelist
54. W. B. Yeats (William Bulter) Poet
55. W. H. Auden (Wystan Hugh) Poet
56. W. W. Jacobs (William Wymark) Short fiction writer / Novelist "The Monkey's Paw"
Part B: First initial, middle name in full:
57. F. Marion Crawford (Francis) Novelist
58. F. Scott Fitzgerald (Francis) Novelist / Short fiction writer The Great Gatsby
59. J. Meade Falkner (John) Novelist
60. L. Frank Baum (Lyman) Children's novelist The Wizard of Oz
61. L. Ron Hubbard (Lafayette) Novelist Battlefield Earth
62. L. Sprague de Camp (Lyon) Novelist
63. W. Somerset Maugham (William) Playwright / Novelist
Part C: First name in full, middle initial:
64. Arthur C. Clarke (Charles) Novelist
65. Hunter S. Thompson (Stockton) Journalist
66. James A. Michener (Albert) Novelist
67. Ursula K. Le Guin (Kroeber) Novelist
68. William T. Vollmann (Tanner) Journalist / Novelist
69. Charles G. D. Roberts, Sir (George Douglas) Poet
Other people known by their initials
W. C. Fields (William Claude) comedian
E. G. Marshall /no information/ actor
J. P. Farrell (John /?/) producer
D. W. Griffith (David Llewelyn) film director
N. C. Wyeth (Newell Convers) artist
J. G. Hertzler (John Garman) actor
E. J. Smith (Edward John) captain of the Titanic
D. L. Hughley (Darryl Lynn) comedian
G. E. Moore (George Edward) philosopher
R. M. Hare (Richard Mervin) philosopher
J. C. Penny (James Cash) businessman
M. C. Escher (Maurits Cornelis) artist
B. F. Skinner (Burrhus Frederic) psychologist
M. C. Hammer pseudonym rapper / singer
J. C. Ryle (John Charles) preacher
C. H. Spurgeon (Charles Haddon) preacher
J. Edgar Hoover (John) FBI Director
C. Thomas Howell (Christopher) actor
C. Everett Koop (Charles) Surgeon General
J. Paul Getty (Jean) industrialist
M. Night Shyamalan (Manoj) screenwriter
Susan B. Anthony (Brownell) sufferagette
