What's in a name?

Recently I have been reading a lot of blogs by other authors and looking at various advice they have to offer. It has me thinking about one of the most important decisions I think someone needs to make as they work on their novel or getting published. 

Should you use a pen name, or stick with your real name?

It probably seems like a no brainer, but really, I think it's a very important decision. A pen name can offer you a sense of privacy that you may not otherwise have.

So what are some good reasons for using a pen name?

1. Privacy. Its a given really. If your name ends up well known then you might want that. It could be annoying to be stopped in the supermarket because someone spotted your name on your credit card when you are in a rush. Or there is also the small town syndrome, if everyone near you knows you then you might want to be someone else publicly. 
2. Placing. If you have a last name that falls really late in the alphabet, you might want a pen name that will bring you further up. Being in the right spot on the shelves can really help. Some people might want to be at the beginning of the alphabet, I would personally think the middle would be better. When I go to bookstores the L-Ts are almost always right near eye level.
3. If your name is absurd or difficult. If you have a last name that is hilarious or incredibly hard to spell or pronounce it could be helpful.
4. If your last name is very common or someone else is already published with your name. 
5. Different genres. Some people like to have one name for one genre and other for a different genre. I personally don't need this as I don't foresee myself writing anything aside from YA fiction. 

Really, the hardest thing about coming up with a pen name is asking yourself what your pen name should be. You don't want something silly, but you need something that you can use, answer to, and sign autographs for. 

So, how do you know if you should use a pen name? The quickest way to see, would be to search your name. Go to Goodreads and do a search for your name and see if there are any authors who come up. Then Google your name. Be sure you put your name in quotation marks. Also, look up your name in an Amazon search and see what comes up. Try a few spelling variations if you have a common name. If you discover you need to use a pen name, then be sure that you do searches on the name you choose later so that you can be certain you chose one that wont confuse you with someone else.

I have found that I will need to use a pen name. There is already a "Jodi Davis" published on Goodreads. Googling my name brings me to my two Google+ profiles but also leads me to a whole bunch of other Jodi Davis's. There is a company and a motivational speaker. I also learned that @Jodidavis is taken on twitter, so that would ruin one of my public avenues. For privacy, I had already decided not to publish under my maiden name. I think that I will create a whole new name for my pen name. There are so many Jodi's in the publishing world these days that I want to be different and stand out. 

What are your thoughts on pen names?