So what do people actually call her?

[Albertosaurus Rex]

I am always interested to hear how various authors come up with their 'nom de plumes', especially as they tend to come from more personal sources eg mother, grandfather etc. It would be so much more difficult than choosing a character's name (at least I'd suspect it would be as I am currently struggling with that very thing!), particularly as it is a name that will not only label and identify you but will also long outlive you in the public eye...if you're any good!

When you have submitted your short stories, have you submitted them using your own name or a pseudonym?

I have actually given a good deal of thought to this: should I use a pseudonym? Should I use different names for different genres?
I have played around with my first and middle names and variations on those, and surnames from my genealogy. I think my grandmother from my fathers side has a beautiful surname, and one that isn't very common either. I also quite liked an anglicized version of my name.

However, I decided:

1. I actually like getting credit for my stories under my own name.
2. One of the things I keep stressing is that no genre is inherently better or worse than others (although my tastes do tend primarily to fantasy). The best way to convey this idea in my writing is to use the same name for everything I write.

That being said, I used my initials. If I ever do get well-known (I still have to hear something from that mag) I don't need to be recognized all the time. Also, if by any stroke of luck anything I write ever gets translated... well, most people who aren't Dutch don't know how to pronounce the "IJ" sound in "Matthijs".
Admittedly, these are things that might never happen. I do have my feet firmly on the ground, be sure of that. So the name I used for submitting my stories is "M. J. Alberts". A little bland, but serviceable.

Back to Robin Hobb: in an interview she notes that the name "Robin" is androgynous (although more often used for males) which came in handy as Farseer was first-person male perspective. She also liked how it resonated with people like Robin Goodfellow (who is that?) and, yes, Robin Hood. "Hobb" was a last-minute spur of the moment decision that just felt right, and resonated with things like Hobbit.