Serious question - What&#x27;s a fake name? Plenty of people go by names that aren&#x27;t the same as on their official government ID, even childhood nicknames. Your name is whatever people call you. There&#x27;s no reason why future employers need to know your &quot;legal&quot; name on a job interview. When you get a job you need to fill out some HR forms and that&#x27;s basically extent of it. Your coworkers&#x2F;boss&#x2F;clients&#x2F;customers aren&#x27;t obligated to address you by what is on your government issued ID. Probably half my office goes by something different than what&#x27;s on their government IDs. Many childhood nicknames and many middle names. Even commonly used diminutives - Peggy for Margaret for example; JP for John Paul; Dick for Richard. If my legal name is Margaret Samathia Jones and I put Peggy Jones on my resume is that going by a fake name? You may have changed your name at marriage and are addressed by that name in personal circles but still are addressed as your birth name in a professional circles in order to better preserve your professional contacts. In plenty of professions it is extremely common to establish yourself professionally under a stage name or pen name or other types of &quot;fake&quot; names. Your legal name may be &quot;cutesy&quot; so you are addressed professionally by an assumed name.