Nomen nescio (pronounced [ˈnoːmɛn ˈnɛskɪ.oː]), abbreviated to N.N., is used to signify an anonymous or unnamed person.
[1] The generic name Numerius Negidius used in Roman times was chosen partly because it shared initials with this phrase.
is also frequently seen in university course lists, indicating that a course will take place but that the lecturer is not yet known; the abbreviation in this case means nomen nominandum – "the name is to be announced".
N. N. is commonly used in the scoring of chess games,[2] not only when one participant's name is genuinely unknown but when an untitled player faces a master, as in a simultaneous exhibition.
It has increased in usage in online gaming as an insult to mean that someone is unknown within the community.