List of literary initials

A large number of authors choose to use some form of initials in their name when it appears in their literary work. This includes some of the most famous authors of the 20th century – D. H. Lawrence, J. D. Salinger, T. S. Eliot, J. R. R. Tolkien, etc. – and also a host of lesser-known writers.

Well-known initials and their corresponding full names are listed below.

Contents

A

A. A. Milne – Alan Alexander Milne
A. B. Guthrie – Alfred Bertram Guthrie
A. B. "Banjo" Paterson – Andrew Barton Paterson
A. C. Benson – Arthur Christopher Benson
A. D. Hope – Alec Derwent Hope
A. D. Miller – Andrew D Miller
A. E. Coppard – Alfred Edgar Coppard
A. E. Housman – Alfred Edward Housman
A. E. W. Mason – Alfred Edward Woodley Mason
A. J. Ayer – Alfred Jules Ayer
A. J. Cronin – Archibald Joseph Cronin
A. J. Liebling – Abbott Joseph Liebling
A. J. P. Taylor – Alan John Percivale Taylor
A. L. Barker – Audrey Lilian Barker
A. L. Kennedy – Alison Louise Kennedy
A. L. Rowse – Alfred Leslie Rowse
A. M. Homes – Amy M. Homes
A. N. Wilson – Andrew Norman Wilson
Annie M. G. Schmidt – Annie Maria Geertruida Schmidt
A. O. Scott – Anthony Oliver Scott
Arthur C. Clarke – Arthur Charles Clarke
A. S. Byatt – Antonia Susan Byatt
A. S. J. Tessimond – Arthur Seymour John Tessimond
A. S. King – Amy Sarig King
A. S. Neill – Alexander Sutherland Neill
A. W. Kinglake – Alexander William Kinglake

B

B. F. Skinner – Burrhus Frederic Skinner
B. S. Johnson – Bryan Stanley Johnson

C

C. A. Lejeune – Caroline Alice Lejeune
C. H. B. Kitchin – Clifford Henry Benn Kitchin
C. J. Sansom – Christopher John Sansom
C. L. R. James – Cyril Lionel Robert James
C. P. Cavafy – Constantine Petrou Cavafy
C. P. Snow – Charles Percy Snow
C. S. Calverley – Charles Stuart Calverley
C. S. Forester – Cecil Scott Forester
C. S. Lewis – Clive Staples Lewis
C. V. Wedgwood – Cicely Veronica Wedgwood

D

DBC Pierre – Dirty But Clean Pierre
D. C. Moore – David Moore
D. H. Lawrence – David Herbert Lawrence
D. J. Enright – Dennis Joseph Enright
D. J. Taylor – David John Taylor
D. K. Broster – Dorothy Kathleen Broster
D. M. Thomas – Donald Michael Thomas

E

E. Annie Proulx – Edna Annie Proulx
E. Nesbit – Edith Nesbit
E. B. White – Elwyn Brooks White
E. C. R. Lorac – Edith Caroline Rivett Lorac (pseudonym)
Edward P. Jones – Edward Paul Jones
E. E. Cummings – Edward Estlin Cummings
E. E. Smith – Edward Elmer Smith
E. F. Benson – Edward Frederic Benson
E. H. Young – Emily Hilda Young
E. L. Doctorow – Edgar Lawrence Doctorow
E. L. James – pseudonym of Erika Leonard
E. L. Konigsburg – Elaine Lobl Konigsburg
E. Lockhart – pseudonym of Emily Jenkins
E. M. Delafield – Edmée Elizabeth Monica Dashwood (pseudonym)
E. M. Forster – Edward Morgan Forster
E. R. Braithwaite – Edward Ricardo Braithwaite
Ernest J. Gaines – Ernest James Gaines
E. T. A. Hoffmann – Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann
E. W. Swanton – Ernest William Swanton

F

F. C. Burnand – Francis Cowley Burnand
F. O. Matthiessen – Francis Otto Matthiessen
F. R. Leavis – Frank Raymond Leavis
F. Scott Fitzgerald – Francis Scott Fitzgerald

G

G. B. Edwards – Gerald Basil Edwards
G. B. Shaw – George Bernard Shaw
G. D. H. Cole – George Douglas Howard Cole
G. K. Chesterton – Gilbert Keith Chesterton
G. M. Trevelyan – George Macaulay Trevelyan
George R. R. Martin – George Raymond Richard Martin

H

H. A. Rey – Hans Augusto Rey
H. A. R. Gibb – Hamilton Alexander Rosskeen Gibb
H.D. – Hilda Doolittle
H. E. Bates – Herbert Ernest Bates
H. G. Wells – Herbert George Wells
H. H. Munro – Hector Hugh Munro (pen name: Saki)
H. J. Massingham – Harold John Massingham
H. L. Gold – Horace Leonard Gold
H. L. Mencken – Henry Louis Mencken
H. M. Tomlinson – Henry Major Tomlinson
H. P. Lovecraft – Howard Phillips Lovecraft
H. R. F. Keating – Henry Reymond Fitzwalter Keating
Hunter S. Thompson – Hunter Stockton Thompson

I

I. A. Richards – Ivor Armstrong Richards
Iain M. Banks – Iain Menzies Banks
I. F. Stone – Isidor Feinstein Stone

J

J. Meade Falkner – John Meade Falkner
James A. Michener – James Albert Michener
James M. Cain – James Mallahan Cain
James T. Farrell – James Thomas Farrell
J. B. Priestley – John Boynton Priestley
J. D. Beresford – John Davys Beresford
J. D. Robb – Nora Roberts
J. D. Salinger – Jerome David Salinger
Jerome K. Jerome – Jerome Klapka Jerome
J. F. Powers – James Farl Powers
J. G. Ballard – James Graham Ballard
J. G. Farrell – James Gordon Farrell
J. H. Prynne – Jeremy Halvard Prynne
J. H. Plumb – John Harold Plumb
J. I. M. Stewart – John Innes Mackintosh Stewart
J. K. Rowling – Joanne Rowling (The K honors her grandmother Kathleen, but is not part of her legal name.)
J. L. Carr – Joseph Lloyd Carr
J. M. Barrie – James Matthew Barrie
J. M. Coetzee – John Maxwell Coetzee
J. M. Synge – John Millington Synge
John D. MacDonald – John Dann MacDonald
J. P. Donleavy – James Patrick Donleavy
J. R. Ackerley – Joe Randolph Ackerley
J. R. R. Tolkien – John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

K

K. A. Applegate – Katherine Alice Applegate
k.d. lang – Kathryn Dawn Lang

L

L. Frank Baum – Lyman Frank Baum
L. Sprague de Camp – Lyon Sprague de Camp
L. A. G. Strong – Leonard Alfred George Strong
L. H. Myers – Leopold Hamilton Myers
L. M. Montgomery -Lucy Maud Montgomery
L. P. Hartley – Leslie Poles Hartley
L. Ron Hubbard – Lafayette Ronald Hubbard

M

M. J. Akbar – Mobashar Jawed Akbar
M. J. Hyland – Maria Joan Hyland
M. Night Shyamalan – Manoj Shyamalan
M. R. James – Montague Rhodes James

N

Neil M. Gunn – Neil Miller Gunn
N. F. Simpson – Norman Frederick Simpson
N. Scott Momaday – Navarre Scott Momaday

O

O. E. Rølvaag – Ole Edvart Rølvaag
O. Henry – pen-name of William Sydney Porter
O. Douglas – pen-name of Anna Masterton Buchan

P

P. B. Shelley – Percy Bysshe Shelley
P. C. Wren – Percival Christopher Wren
P. D. James – Phyllis Dorothy James
P. D. Eastman – Philip Dey "Phil" Eastman
Pearl S. Buck – Pearl Sydenstricker Buck
P. G. Wodehouse – Pelham Grenville Wodehouse
P. H. Newby – Percy Howard Newby
Philip K. Dick – Philip Kindred Dick
P. J. O'Rourke – Patrick Jake O'Rourke
P. N. Furbank – Philip Nicholas Furbank
Poppy Z. Brite – pseudonym of Melissa Ann Brite
P. L. Travers -Pamela Lyndon Travers

R

R. Crumb – Robert Dennis Crumb
R. A. Lafferty – Rafael Aloysius Lafferty
R. C. Hutchinson – Ray Coryton Hutchinson
R. C. Lehmann – Rudolf Chambers Lehmann
R. C. Robertson-Glasgow – Raymond Charles Robertson-Glasgow
R. C. Sherriff – Robert Cedric Sherriff
R. D. Blackmore – Richard Doddridge Blackmore
R. E. Vernède – Robert Ernest Vernède
R. G. Collingwood – Robin George Collingwood
R. H. Mottram – Ralph Hale Mottram
R. H. Tawney – Richard Henry Tawney
RJ Arkhipov – RJ Arkhipov
R. J. Yeatman – Robert Julian Yeatman
R. K. Narayan – Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami (original name)
Robert A. Heinlein – Robert Anson Heinlein
Robert B. Parker – Robert Brown Parker
Robert C. O'Brien – pen-name of Robert Leslie Conly
R. L. Stevenson – Robert Louis Stevenson
R. L. Stine – Robert Lawrence Stine
R. M. Ballantyne – Robert Michael Ballantyne
R. R. Palmer – Robert Roswell Palmer
R. S. Thomas – Ronald Stuart Thomas

S

S. E. Hinton – Susan Eloise Hinton
S. P. Somtow – Somtow Papinian Sucharitkul
S. T. Joshi – Sunand Tryambak Joshi
S. Y. Agnon – Shmuel Yosef Agnon

T

T. Coraghessan Boyle – Thomas Coraghessan Boyle
T. B. Macaulay – Thomas Babington Macaulay
Thomas M. Disch – Thomas Michael Disch
T. E. Hulme – Thomas Ernest Hulme
T. E. Lawrence – Thomas Edward Lawrence
T. H. Green – Thomas Hill Green
T. H. White – Terence Hanbury White
T. J. Binyon - Timothy John Binyon
T. S. Eliot – Thomas Stearns Eliot

U

U. A. Fanthorpe – Ursula Askham Fanthorpe
Ursula K. Le Guin or (once) U. K. Le Guin – Ursula Kroeber Le Guin

V

V. C. Andrews – Cleo Virginia Andrews
V. S. Naipaul – Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul
V. S. Pritchett – Victor Sawdon Pritchett

W

W. Somerset Maugham – William Somerset Maugham
W. B. Yeats – William Butler Yeats
W. E. Henley – William Ernest Henley
William T. Vollmann – William Tanner Vollmann
W. C. Sellar – Walter Carruthers Sellar
W. D. Ehrhart – William Daniel Ehrhart
W. E. B. Du Bois – William Edward Burghardt Du Bois
W. G. Sebald – Winfried Georg Sebald
W. H. Auden – Wystan Hugh Auden
W. H. Davies – William Henry Davies
W. S. Gilbert – William Schwenck Gilbert
W. S. Graham – William Sydney Graham
W. S. Merwin – William Stanley Merwin

Z

ZZ Packer – Zuwena Packer (second Z is decorative)

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