Why was Samuel Langhorne Clemens given name Mark Twain?

Answer 1

Mark Twain came into the world as Samuel Clemens on November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri. His parents moved to Hannibal, Missouri while he was a young'un, and he spent his youth experiencing the adventures that shaped his life and colored his writings. At 24, he realized a boyhood dream when he was finally entrusted with the powers and duties of a steamboat pilot on April 9, 1859 in St. Louis.
Twain loved the paddlewheel steamboat and he loved the river. As a matter of fact, it was during his years on the river that he chose his pen name. "Mark Twain" was a frequent call of the leadsman. It meant that the water was 2 fathoms (12 feet) deep and indicated safe water.

Answer 2

Samuel, born Samuel L. Clemens, spent some time with the Confederate militia and then journeyed with his brother, Orion to the Nevada territory. Samuel’s brother was appointed by President Lincoln to be the secretary for the territorial government. Ten years after this “Roughing It” was published. In this story, Samuel Clemens told of the adventures the two of them shared on the way to Carson City. He wrote about the various schemes to get rich quick all of which, of course, failed. Samuel Clemens gleaned some very important things from these years, his writing improved and he was writing again for newspapers. It was also during this time that he took on the name Mark Twain. Mark Twain is a term from his days as a riverboat pilot. It means safe water or two fathoms deep.

Answer 3

Mark Twain's GIVEN name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Most authors have a "pen name" or pseudonym and Mr. Clemens' pen name was Mark Twain.
A good place to look up authors is www.online-literature.com

Answer 4

Actually, his given name was Samuel Clemens. Mark Twain was a name he adopted - and note, he wasn't the only one to write as Mark Twain!

Check out the reference below.

Answer 5

no... his genuine call is samuel clemens he additionally wrote below the call Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass for 3 humorous products he contributed to the Keokuk positioned up on the Mississippi River, 'mark twain' meant '2 fathoms deep.' He did not like Jane Austen

Answer 6

He chose the name for himself. He wanted to be, and later became, a river boat pilot on the Mississippi River. They would measure the depth of the water by dropping a weight on a piece of twine. The person dropping the twine would yell out to the pilot, "mark twine," followed by the depth of the water. Clemens liked "Mark Twain".

Answer 7

He was working at a mining camp when he first started his career as a newspaper man. A co-worker suggested he might want to sign his articles under an assumed name just in case someone disagreed with his editorials (and sought reprisal.) He himself choose the name Mark Twain, which in Mississippi river boat lingo, meant "clear passage."
He explains it all in his book "Roughing It."

Answer 8

I'm not sure I understand your question. "Mark Twain" was his pen name. The name he was born with (usually described as "given" name or "Christian" name) was Clemens.

Answer 9

He wasnt given it, he chose it as a pen name. It was also a pun because he said Mississipi River boat captains used Mart Tewain when it is so and so fathoms deep

Answer 10

Ooh! its a news to me!! I thought that it is another name of William Shakespeare.