Decide exactly what your new Business Name / Pen Name / New Identity Name is going to be … your personal “Kathy Author” or “Kathy Author Enterprises” equivalent.
To arrive at a more anonymous Pen Name, you might want to choose it from common names like David Smith or Mary Johnson. Go to any phone book and you will see there are tons of Smiths and Johnsons. You can easily become lost among them and become just another Smith or a Jones, especially so in a bigger city where there will be pages and pages of Smiths, Johnsons, or Hernandez’s.
If you don’t want to become a Smith or a Johnson, you can go to the below website to discover the most common first names and last names for both females and males. You want a more common name so your new Business Name can disappear in the crowd:
http://www.namestatistics.com/
It is best to keep your first name as you are used to people calling you by your first name and only change your last name. Change your first name only if it is a rare name and could link you to your old identity.
Do a Google search online for your new name to see what comes up:
Check online to see if your chosen name is available as a domain name by going to:
Check USA Trademarks online using the Trademark Electronic Search System to see if your Business Name is a registered Federal Trade Mark by clicking the link below:
Check online for a State Trademark or other State use of your Business Name by clicking on the link below:
If your Business Name is not in conflict after the above online searches … Congratulations on your legitimate new Business Name.