Uzbek literary pseudonyms originated in ancient Turkic written monuments and attained a well-developed form during the era of Alisher Navoi. In the twentieth century, particularly during the Jadid literary movement, and in the modern period, pseudonyms acquired new semantic and social functions. This evolution is closely connected with folk oral traditions, religious and Sufi heritage, the influence of Persian-Tajik and Arabic literatures, and the processes of expressing national identity.