November 28, 2024 | Jack Hawkins

The Most Surprising Celebrity Stage Names


The Most Surprising Celebrity Stage Names

Many celebrities use their real names when they become famous, but some opt for stage names. This is usually on their agent's or publicist's advice, to make their name more memorable or appeal to a wider audience. Let's see if you knew that these celebs swapped names when they became famous.

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Marilyn Monroe

Actress and model Marilyn Monroe was a pivotal figure in America's Hollywood landscape. However, Monroe was born Norma Jean Mortensen, and was encouraged to change her name early on in her career. She became "Marilyn Monroe" in 1946. Her real name was immortalized in Elton John's "Candle In The Wind", with the line "Goodbye Norma Jeane, though I never knew you at all—you had the grace to hold yourself, while those around you crawled".

Publicity photo of Marilyn MonroeFrank Powolny, Wikimedia Commons

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Alicia Keys

Born Alicia Augello-Cook, Alicia Keys changed her name early on in her career for one that better suited the stage. Her original choice was "Alicia Wild", but she changed it to "Alicia Keys" after her mom said that "Wild" made her sound like an exotic dancer.

Alicia Keys arriving to the 2013 Grammy AwardsDFree, Shutterstock

Meghan Markle

The Duchess of Sussex, better-known as Meghan Markle, was actually born Rachel Meghan Markle. That name came in handy when she played Rachel Zane in the law drama Suits (2011), although she had already changed her name.

The Duchess of Sussex Meghan MarkleOffice of the Governor-General, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Irina Shayk

Russian fashion model and actress Irina Shayk had changed her name from Irina Shayklislamov. She has dated soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo and American actor Bradley Cooper, and acted in the Greek drama Hercules (2014).

Model Irina Shayk attending a film festivalAndrea Raffin, Shutterstock

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Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt mightn't have been so memorable had he been called William Pitt, or Bill Pitt, perhaps. The former is his real name—William Bradley Pitt. In his personal life, he reportedly introduces himself to women as "William", but maintains "Brad Pitt" as his professional pseudonym.

Brad Pitt during the 72nd Cannes Film FestivalAndrea Raffin, Shutterstock

Gigi Hadid

World-famous supermodel Gigi Hadid's real name is Jelena Noura Hadid. Her stage name came from a close family nickname she'd been called around the house as a child. Her real name, Jelena, is pronounced "Yelena".

Gigi Hadid attending 2019 CFDA Fashion AwardsOvidiu Hrubaru, Shutterstock

Lady Gaga

While unsurprisingly, Lady Gaga is not her real name, Gaga adopted her stage name after being inspired by Queen's "Radio Ga Ga" hit from 1984. Lady Gaga was born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta.

Lady Gaga at the premiere of Joker: Folie à DeuxJoe Seer, Shutterstock

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Rhianna

Like Brad Pitt, Rhianna uses her middle name as a stage name. Her real name is Robyn Rhianna Fenty. Apparently, her friends and family still call her Robyn, especially if they want to get her attention. "I'm kind of numb to hearing Rhianna, so when I hear "Robyn", I pay attention," said the star.

Rihanna attending Sephora Fenty BeautyAndrea Raffin, Shutterstock

Miley Cyrus

Despite having been a star since she was a teenager, Miley Cyrus was quick to change her name from Destiny Hope Cyrus to Miley, after her parents always nicknamed her "Smiley". Her name change officially occurred in 2008, becoming Miley Ray Cyrus, after her grandfather.

Portrait Photo of Miley Cyrus in dark outfitRaphael Pour-Hashemi, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Cardi B

Everyone knows her as Cardi B, but did you know that her birth name is Belcalis Almanzar? She took the stage name "Cardi B" from her old nickname, Bacardi, after the rum.

Cardi B backstage in 2018Chrisallmeid, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

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Reese Witherspoon

The actress most famous for Legally Blonde (2001) and Wild (2014) was born Laura-Jeanne Reese Witherspoon. "Reese" is her mother's maiden name, which she adopted early in her career.

Reese Witherspoon wearing a pink dresslev radin, Shutterstock

Emma Stone

The actress made famous by Easy A (2010) and Superbad (2007) legally changed her name from Emily Jean Stone to Emma Stone after her TV debuts on Medium (2005) and Malcolm In The Middle (2000). Although she originally wanted to be called "Emily Stone", one already existed in Hollywood, so she settled on "Emma Stone".

Emma Stone attending Film AwardsFred Duval, Shutterstock

Natalie Portman

Portman was originally born in Jerusalem in 1981 and was given a traditional Hebrew name: Neta Lee Herschlag. But, when her parents emigrated to the United States three years later, they changed her surname from "Herschlag" to "Portman"—her grandmother's maiden name. Neta Lee became "Natalie".

Natalie Portman at the 2019 San Diego Comic ConGage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

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Kit Harington  

You may have guessed this one already, but Jon Snow, or Kit Harington isn't named "Kit". It's a common nickname given to people named Christopher. Kit Harrington is actually Christopher Catesby Harington. Similarly, the star's brother's name is Jack, but his real name is John.

Kit Harington at the premiere of 'Game Of Thrones' Season 7Tinseltown, Shutterstock

Lana Del Rey

The pop star was known as "Lizzy" or Elizabeth Woolridge Grant before she became "Lana Del Rey". Her stage name is inspired by her love of Spanish and spending so much time speaking Spanish with her friends as a young woman. It also comes from the actress Lana Turner, a big influence on Lizzy's career, and the Ford Del Rey car.

Lana Del Rey Posing For A Music VideoJaguar MENA, Flickr

Olivia Wilde

One of the unusual ones on our list that kept her first name, but changed her last, Olivia Wilde was born Olivia Cockburn. She changed her last name when she was a teenager after appearing in Oscar Wilde's The Importance Of Being Honest in high school.

Olivia Wilde in a Vogue interviewMatthew Frost, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

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Drake

The Canadian actor and musician was known as "Aubrey Graham" during his time on Degrassi (2001), as his birth name was Aubrey Drake Graham. But, when the actor became a musician and rapper in 2006, he dropped his first and last names, opting for "Drake" as his stage name.

Photo of the Canadian rapper Drake on stagemusicisentropy, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Portia De Rossi 

The Australian-American actress Portia De Rossi changed her name legally at the age of 15—though not to secure fame and fortune. She did it to fit in. De Rossi was born Amanda Lee Rogers and told Advocate: "When I was 15 I changed it legally. I think it was largely due to my struggle about being gay. I chose Portia because I was a Shakespeare fan and De Rossi because I was Australian and thought an exotic Italian name would suit me more".

Actress Portia de Rossi smiling on the red carpetPulicciano, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Ashton Kutcher

Another name you might not have guessed: Ashton Kutcher took his middle name as his first when he became famous after appearing as Michael Kelso on That 70's Show (1998). His real name is Christopher Ashton Kutcher—what have all these actors got against Christophers?

American actor and film producer Ashton KutcherTechCrunch, Flickr

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Erykah Badu

The "Queen Of Neo Soul," as she became known in the 1990s, wasn't always Erykah Badu. She was born Erica Abi Wright, but changed her name when she was young to "Erykah", as she believed the original spelling to be a "slave name" and "Kah" symbolized the inner-self. "Badu" is the name given to the 10th-born child of the Akan people in Ghana.

American singer-songwriter Erykah BaduLivePict.com, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Halsey 

Another rather obvious stage name is "Halsey", although many fans think it's an anagram of the singer's first name: Ashley. Born Ashley Frangipane, the singer has clarified that the name came from the street a friend of hers lived on: Halsey Street.

Halsey at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music AwardsFeatureflash Photo Agency, Shutterstock

Spike Lee

Apparently, Spike Lee was a tough baby. His mother nicknamed Shelton Lee "Spike" because of this and the name stuck. Thanks, Mom!

Spike Lee at a festival in Cannes 2018Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

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Courtney Love

Unfortunately, Courtney's last name is not "Love". She used her stage name, "Courtney Love," for years, throughout her time married to Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. But her real name is Courtney Michelle Harrison, or as the singer now prefers it, Courtney Michelle.

Courtney Love on the red carpet in ViennaManfred Werner/Tsui, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Whoopi Goldberg

By far one of the funniest stories of stage-name bestowment comes from Whoopi Goldberg. Born Caryn Johnson, apparently, Whoopi had a penchant for passing wind when she started out, so she took the name "Whoopi" after the practical joke device, "whoopee cushion".

Whoopi Goldberg attending an eventKathy Hutchins, Shutterstock

Joaquin Pheonix

Joaquin Phoenix was born Joaquin Rafael Bottom. Yes, that's right. "Bottom". He was born to two religious parents who were involved with a religious cult: The Children of God. When his parents left the organization (along with their two children), they changed his last name to "Phoenix".

Joaquin Phoenix attending the photocall of a premiereOSCAR GONZALEZ FUENTES, Shutterstock

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Demi Moore 

Demi Moore might have remained Deme Gene Guynes if she'd not met and married rock musician Freddy Moore when she was just 17. The American actress decided to keep his surname as her stage name, despite divorcing when Moore was only 21.

Demi Moore attending a fashion showLiv Oeian, Shutterstock

Bruno Mars

Again, no great shock that Bruno Mars' real name is not, in fact, "Bruno Mars". Alas, the singer's real name is Peter Gene Hernandez, although he apparently looked like the wrestler Bruno Sammartino as a child, and thus gained the nickname "Bruno". It stuck, but "Hernandez" didn't—he renamed himself "Bruno Mars" quickly after becoming famous.

Bruno Mars wearing a black and white shirtDaniel Gregory, Flickr

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj may be the new "Queen Of Rap", but her name was changed from Onika Tanya Maraj during one of her very first production contracts. She wasn't even consulted. Apparently, Nicki hates the name and prefers to be Onika when she's with family and friends.

Nicki Minaj with gold jewelryMTV International, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

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Calvin Harris

Taylor Swift called Calvin Harris "Adam" at the iHeart Music Awards and everyone wondered why. Well, when Harris was producing his first tracks, they were more soul-centric and Adam Richard Wiles wanted a stage name that was a bit more racially ambiguous, so went with "Calvin Harris".

Calvin Harris as winner of the 2020 PRSTaylorHerring, Flickr

Frank Ocean

The singer famous for" Novacane" has never really liked his birth name of Christopher Edwin Breaux. So, in 2010, he changed it to Christopher Francis Ocean via an LLC registering website, LegalZoom (it's legitimate).

American singer-songwriter Frank OceanPemberton Music Festival, Flickr

Helen Mirren

Helen Mirren was always "Helen Mirren", right? Sounds plausible enough. Actually, she was born Ilyena Lydia Mironoff. But her father changed her last name from "Mironoff" to "Mirren" in the 50s. The family is ancestrally Russian and part of an exiled family of Russian nobility, ousted from Russia after the 1917 Russian Revolution.

Actress Helen Mirren at the Berlinale 2020Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

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Jamie Foxx

When Eric Marlon Bishop was trying out for stand-up comedy, he knew he needed a different name. He told David Letterman that he went with "Jamie Foxx" to be more unisex and therefore get more stage time. I guess that paid off.

American actor and singer Jamie FoxxJohn Bauld, Flickr

Julianne Moore

No relation to Demi Moore or her ex-husband, Julianne Moore's stage name derived from both of her parents: Peter Moore Smith and Anne Smith. Told she needed to change her name for Hollywood, because her given name Julie Anne Smith was already taken by another actress, Moore amalgamated both of her parent's names.

Julianne Moore attends a screening of a movieAndrea Raffin, Shutterstock

John Legend 

John Legend's name was a nickname given to him by friends early on in his music career that just stuck. "'Legend' is never a name I would have chosen for myself," he explained. His birth name is John Roger Stephens.

John Legend performing at PopTech ConferencePopTech, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

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Katy Perry

In the midst of an adolescent identity crisis, Kathryn Elizabeth Hudson created the name "Katy Perry" as an act of self-protection and reinvention during the difficult phase of her life. "I didn't want to be Kathryn Hudson, I hated it," she explained to The Guardian.

Katy Perry attending an event in Hollywood, CADFree, Shutterstock

Lorde

The singer was born Ella Marija Lani Yellich-O'Connor, but didn't feel as though her birth name had any grandeur or gravitas behind it. She wanted something that was going to be memorable, so went with the one-named alias, "Lorde".

Lorde performing onstage in 2022Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Mandy Moore

Born Amanda Leigh Moore, Mandy Moore stated "I never really owned my name" in an interview with CNN, equating the name with her parents being mad at her. Who can blame her? We all shudder when we hear our full names out loud, I'm sure.

Mandy Moore attending an event in 2018Daniel Benavides, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

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Mindy Kaling

The actress wasn't born Mindy Kaling. Her name, derived from Hinduism (as both her parents are Indian) is Vera Mindy Chokalingam. "Vera" is the name of a Hindu goddess, and her parents often called her "Mindy" as a child. So, she shortened "Chokalingam" to "Kaling" when she was trying to make a name for herself.

Mindy Kaling at the Montclair Film Festival 2019Montclair Film, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Tina Fey

The iconic Tina Fey wasn't always so. The 30 Rock (2006) star was born Elizabeth Stamantina Fey, but shortened her birth name to come up with her stage name. Although, she did give a nod to her birth name with "Li Lemon" in 30 Rock.

Tina Fey at a Los Angeles premiere a movieFeatureflash Photo Agency, Shutterstock

G-Eazy

The record producer and rapper G-Eazy has had the same stage name since he was a teenager. He reportedly came up with it on a whim, renaming himself from Gerald Earl Gillum to G-Eazy as he was beginning his career.

G-Eazy attending the G-Eazy Red CarpetGage Skidmore, Flickr

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P!nk 

Another rather obvious stage name belongs to Alecia Beth Moore (what is it with all the Moores?). She took the name from Steve Buscemi's "Mr Pink" in Reservoir Dogs (1992). Apparently, she ran (quite literally) into Steve, exclaiming "Steve! I'm Mr Pink! Because of you, I'm going to have an album!" He apparently ran away.

P!nk singer during her show at Rock in Rio 2019A.PAES, Shutterstock

Freddie Mercury

The maestro himself was not named "Freddie Mercury" at birth. Despite his mercurial talents that would later become evident, Freddie Mercury was named Farrokh Bulsara, when he was born to Zoroastrian parents in Zanzibar in 1964.

Rock star Freddie MercuryGraham Wiltshire, Flickr

Rainn Wilson's Unusual Name Change

You might think that being born Rainn Percival Dietrich Wilson might warrant a name change if you're going to be a superstar of The Office (2005). Well, it didn't and Rainn kept his name throughout his career—except in 2022, when, to raise awareness for climate change (around the time of COP29), he hilariously and unofficially changed his name to Rainnfall Heat Wave Extreme Winter Wilson.


Rainn Wilson at the annual TV Land AwardsJoe Seer, Shutterstock


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