Shook! From Rachel Markle to Jelena Hadid, these are the celebrities that have changed their names…
Have you ever fantasied about changing your name and assuming a new identity? Or are you looking for baby name inspiration? Well, the A-list certainly aren’t averse to a full name change and some of these names will seriously surprise you.
It’s well known that many actors and actresses change their names to give themselves a jazzier stage name and it’s a practice that has long occurred in Hollywood. Judy Garland, for instance, was actually called Ethel Gumm.
In modern day Hollywood, the likes of Emma Stone and even Meghan Markle have also changed their names. Emma Stone’s actual name is Emily and she was made to change her name at the start of her career at 16 years-old as there was already an Emily Stone working as an actress at the time.
And if you are not already shook enough, it turns out Meghan Markle’s name is in fact Rachel, which funnily enough is her character’s name in TV show, Suits. Meghan is actually her middle name and our minds are officially blown.
The shocks don’t stop there. Did you know that Gigi Hadid is NOT actually called Gigi? Well, the supermodel who is herself now expecting her own baby was actually born Jelena Noura Hadid. In fact, it was her mother, the reality TV star Yolanda Foster, who started calling her Gigi.
"My mom was called that as a kid by her mother when she was younger. But only around the house. In first or second grade, there was a girl named Helena and it got confusing with the teacher who had to call out our names, and so the teacher asked my mom, 'If I needed to call Jelena a nickname, what would it be?' And my mom was like, 'I call her Gigi sometimes,' and the name stuck." You do you, Jelena babe.
Here is our definitive list of all the celebrities that have changed their names from Drake to Brad Pitt…
Getty ImagesPeter Gene Hernandez
It might not have had the nicest of origins but the moniker Bruno Mars has served the singer well. Bruno was given to the star by his father as he was a chubby baby and resembled the wrestler Bruno Sammartino. The star himself later added Mars to the end as he reportedly said: “I felt like I didn't have pizzazz, and a lot of girls say I’m out of this world, so I was like I guess I'm from Mars.”
Rex FeaturesNatasha Obama
Turns out the Obama's youngest is actually not named Sasha. The news went viral after Twitter users started sharing a thread showing her father's Wikipedia page, where Sasha's real name, Natasha, is stated. Sasha is after all, just a nickname.
Getty ImagesRachel Meghan Markle
You heard us right: Meghan isn't the real name of Prince Harry's wife, oh no, it's Rachel, just like her Suits character. Meghan, the name she uses publicly, is actually her middle name. It's not yet understood why Meghan Markle prefers to use her middle name... either way, mind blown.
Getty ImagesEmily Jean Stone
Emma Stone's real name is actually Emily. She was forced to change her moniker aged 16 as there was already an Emily Stone in the acting world. The actress dabbled with name Riley briefly, before deciding she couldn't get used to it. Emma felt ideal as she could still shorten it to 'Em.'
Rex FeaturesChantelle Brown-Young
You may recognise this beauty as model Winnie Harlow, but did you know she was born Chantelle Brown-Young? As she explains on her website: “Chantelle Brown-Young is my real name. Winnie is my nick name that I was given as a teenager and it has stuck with me. I’ve combined my real name and my nick name to create 'Chantelle Winnie'. My alter ego where I seek confidence when I model is “Winnie Harlow.” We had no idea.
Getty ImagesJelena Noura Hadid
Gigi Hadid might be one of the biggest names in the modelling world but she was actually born Jelena Noura Hadid. The model revealed that it was her mum, Yolanda Foster, who started calling her Gigi. "My mom was called that as a kid by her mother when she was younger," she explained to Style.com. "But only around the house. In first or second grade, there was a girl named Helena and it got confusing with the teacher who had to call out our names, and so the teacher asked my mom, 'If I needed to call Jelena a nickname, what would it be?' And my mom was like, 'I call her Gigi sometimes,' and the name stuck."
RexAlice Suki Waterhouse
"I've always been called ' Suki,' but my actual first name is Alice," said the model. Although there was one person who did call her Alice and that was her ex Bradley Cooper. "I told him that that was my name when we first met, and I called him something else, too. It was just something fun, but then I stopped and he didn't, so he introduced me to everyone as Alice. It confuses people sometimes... It's nice having a more traditional name as an option - I can be Alice or I can be Suki."
Rex FeaturesMikhaila Rocha
Another model who’s changed her name is Coco Rocha. Apparently her mum called her “mon petit Coco,” when she was at kindergarten and it became her name.
Rex FeaturesChanel Iman Robinson
The model decided to drop her surname when she became famous to the more-memorable Chanel Iman.
Guy Robin
Since producing his chart-topping cover of 'Fast Car', Guy Robin now goes by the name of Jonas Blue. “When I made 'Fast Car' I was thinking it could be cool to start something fresh with a new name," he says. "A lot of house music I was playing at the time was coming from Sweden, so I decided on Jonas. I thought about Jonas Monday before I came up with Jonas Blue. I love it. Blue is fresh and Jonas gives it something mysterious.”
Getty ImagesErin Heather Bubley
Victoria’s Secret star Erin Heatherton decided to change her name when she was signed to a modelling agency because people found “Bubley” difficult to pronounce. Instead, she added “-ton” to her name instead.
Rex FeaturesDiane Hall
When Diane Hall joined the Actors’ Equity Association, she changed her name to Keaton, as there was already a Diane Hall registered. The semi-autobiographical movie, Annie Hall, which Diane starred in with her former boyfriend Woody Allen, retains her birth name as its inspiration.
Rex FeaturesJoan Smalls Rodriguez
It’s a little known fact that the Puerto-Rican-born model uses both her mother and father’s surnames formally; but for professional reasons, she sticks to just Joan Smalls.
Rex FeaturesIrina Valeryevna Shaykhlislamov
Russian model Irina Shayk decided to slice off two-thirds of her surname when she became famous in America and Europe.
Getty ImagesVera Mindy Chokalingam
Mindy revealed that she's never been called by her first name, Vera. When her mother was pregnant, her parents decided to move to the US from Nigeria and wanted to give her a "cute American name". They liked Mindy from the Robin Williams show Mork & Mindy so went for that. Her surname change occurred when Mindy started doing stand-up. Apparently the MCs couldn't pronounce Chokalingam, so she changed it to Kaling.
PA PhotosTahliah Debrett Barnett
Tahliah, aka FKA twigs, got her stage name because of the way her joints cracks. When another artist – called Twigs – complained that people might confuse them, she added the FKA (Formerly Known As).
Getty ImagesBlake Brown
Blake's father Ernie Brown broke with patriarchal tradition and decided to take the name of his wife, Elaine Lively. But Blake’s legal surname is actually Brown not Lively. It’s not easy to keep up!
PA PhotosJonah Hill Feldstein
Jonah Hill dropped his original surname but it's unclear as why.
PA PhotosJessica Ellen Cornish
Jessie J shortened her first name and added a “J” for her stage name. The letter stands for different things on different days. “Jessie Jazz-hands is one of my favourites,” the singer revealed. “But Jessie Jetlag is mostly what it is now.”
PA PhotosMilena Markovna Kunis
Mila Kunis’ name is more a shortening than an actual change. The Ukrainian-born actress went by her nickname when she became famous.
John Roger Stephens
John Legend has the poet J. Ivy to thank for his memorable moniker. ". J. Ivy stated, "I heard your music and it reminds me of that music from the old school. You sound like one of the legends. As a matter of fact, that's what I'm going to call you from now on! I'm going to call you John Legend." After J. Ivy continued calling him this, others, including Kanye West, who signed the singer to his label, followed. John [Legend] eventually gave in and announced this as his new artist name.
Rex FeaturesDavid Law
Jude Law decided to use his middle name instead of David.
PA PhotosSimon John Beckingham
Simon Pegg’s parents divorced when he was seven and he decided to take his step-father’s name when his mother remarried.
Rex FeaturesElizabeth Irene Mitchell
Elizabeth Banks was forced to change her name because of Lost’s Elizabeth Mitchell, who was already acting. Taking about choosing her new moniker, the Hunger Games star said she wanted a single-syllable surname to contrast with the longer Elizabeth, “so I made a list and then alphabetised it, and Banks was the first one on the list. And I called SAG and they said it was available, so I said, ‘I’ll take it!’ I just wanted it over with!”
Getty ImagesMichael A. Fox
It could all have been so different for Michael J. Fox, who swapped his middle name “Andrew” when he found out there was another Michael Andrew Fox out there. He decided to go for Michael J. Fox in homage to Bonnie & Clde star Michael J. Pollard. While the latter’s “J” stands for “John”, Michael J. Fox’ doesn’t stand for anything at all.
Rex FeaturesLily Thomson
The reason Lily James changed her name is sad but touching. The actress wanted to pay tribute to her late father, the actor James Thomson, who tragically died of cancer in 2008.
Rex FeaturesJulie Smith
The actress Julianne Moore created her first name by incorporating her middle name, Anne. She also swapped out her Smith surname for her father’s middle name Moore.
Getty ImagesAubrey Graham
Aubrey Graham isn’t the hippest of names so no wonder rapper Drake looked to his middle name when he hit the big time.
Rex FeaturesKaren Lucille Hale
Pretty Little Liars star Lucy Hale simplified her name when she became famous.
Rex FeaturesNicole Valiente
Nicole Valiente took up the last name Scherzinger after she was adopted by her stepfather, Gary Scherzinger, at the age of six.
Rex FeaturesAdam Wiles
Most DJs adopt an elaborate or unusual stage name so good on Adam Wiles for choosing a relatively normal name with Calvin Harris.
Rex FeaturesAlicia Foster
Alicia Foster acts under her childhood nickname Jodie, which was given to her by her siblings. It has been reported that the name was a tribute to the Foster children’s aunt ‘Jo’, who was their mother’s live-in lover.
PA PhotosEthel Gumm
Ethel Gumm had originally been part of a travelling singing act with her sisters named the ‘Gumm sisters’, but it wasn’t until she adopted the name Judy Garland that the actress gained fame. It is believed that Judy stems from a popular 30’s song Judy, and Garland is after film critic Robert Garland.
Rex FeaturesJoan Molinsky
It’s hard to imagine this TV personality as anything other than Joan Rivers, but it is in fact a stage name. As a struggling actress, Joan Molinsky took the plunge and changed her name to Joan Rivers, under the advisement of her agent Tony Rivers.
Rex FeaturesPaloma Stoecker
Paloma Stoecker signed to Atlantic Records under her real name, but quickly changed it to avoid confusion with singer Paloma Faith. She now uses her Cuban great-grandmother’s name Delilah, as a stage name.
Rex FeaturesCharlotte Reed
The Welsh singer Charlotte Church changed her surname when she was adopted by her mother’s second husband, James Church.
PA PhotosGrace Mendoza
She’s as mysterious about her name as she is her age. Grace Jones may have been born under the name Grace Mendoza but it’s unknown why it was changed.
PA PhotosDavid Williams
David Williams opted for a name change when he joined the actors’ trade union Equity, as there was already a David Williams. Reportedly the Little Britain star thought he would be more successful under the name Walliams and it looks like he made the right decision.
PA PhotosVictoria Lott
Pixie Lott might be a pop sensation but that isn’t actually her real name. Born as Victoria, the singer was called Pixie by her mother, because “she was a tiny, cute baby who looked like a fairy.”
Rex FeaturesLea Michele Sarfati
Lea Sarfati adopted the stage name Lea Michele at an early age during her first audition, and has never looked back since.
PA PhotosChristie Lee Hudson
Christie Lee Hudson adopted her step-father’s surname when her mother married Don Brinkley.
Rex FeaturesEric Banadinovi
It’s not clear why Eric Banadinovi changed his name to Eric Bana but we think both suit the handsome star. And he's not the only one in this picture who's changed his name...
Rex FeaturesWilliam Bradley Pitt
Not exactly a radical change but William Pitt simplified his moniker to Brad Pitt when he moved to LA as a teen.
PA PhotosJermaine Jackson
Jermaine Jackson recently filed a request to change his name to Jermaine "Jacksun". Michael Jackson's famous sibling cited "artistic reasons" as his motivation.
Myra Amos
Myra Amos first started performing under her middle name Ellen but changed it to Tori when a friend’s boyfriend said it really suited her.
PA PhotosJose Antonio Dominguez Banderas
Jose Antonio Dominguez Banderas took his mother’s last name as his stage name and dropped his first name to the much simpler Antonio Banderas.
Maurice Joseph Micklewhite
He might be quoted as saying, “My name is Michael Caine,” but actually, it isn’t. Maurice Micklewhite adopted the name "Michael Scott" as his stage name before changing it again to Michael Caine.
PA PhotosLove Michelle Harrison
When Courtney Love was born, she was named Love Michelle Harrison. But, at three, when her parents divorced, her mother changed this to Courtney Harrison, supposedly naming her after a friend she had while she was pregnant. The singer then changed it again to Courtney Michelle Love.
PA PhotosPhilip Rourke Jr
There doesn’t seem any particular reason behind Mr Rourke’s decision to change his name from Philip to Mickey Rourke.
Rex FeaturesStefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta got her unusual nickname because when she came into the studio to record her early music, she wouldn’t say hi, but sing “Radio Ga Ga”. One day her producer texted her but his text didn’t autocorrect and somehow “Radio” became “Lady”. “That’s it,” the singer texted back. "Don’t ever call me Stefani again.”
Rex FeaturesAmanda Lee Rogers
Amanda Lee Rogers changed her name to Portia de Rossi when she was 15. “I think it was largely due to my struggle about being gay. Everything just didn’t fit, and I was trying to find things I could identify myself with, and it started with my name,” said the actress. “I picked Portia because I was a Shakespeare fan (she’s a character in The Merchant of Venice). De Rossi because I was Australian and I thought that an exotic Italian name would somehow suit me more.”
Rex FeaturesShawn Carter
Shawn Carter was known in his Brooklyn neighbourhood as “Jazzy”, because of his freestyling lyrics. This eventually developed into this stage name, Jay-Z, which is also a homage to his musical mentor, Jaz-O and the J/Z subway lines in his neighbourhood.
PA PhotosChristopher Kutcher
Christopher Kutcher made his middle name, Ashton, his first name after signing up with a NY modelling agency, where there was already a model called “Chris”.
Rex FeaturesDestiny Hope Cyrus
Miley Cyrus’ parents named their daughter Destiny Hope because they believed she would accomplish great things. She was a happy baby and nicknamed “Smiley”, which eventually got shortened to “Miley” and became her stage name.
Rex FeaturesNicole Camille Escovedo
Nicole Camille Escovedo changed her surname at the age of nine when she was formally adopted by pop sensation Lionel Richie.
Rex FeaturesLaura Jean Reese Witherspoon
The actress dropped her first name "Laura" when she became famous, using her mother’s maiden name, "Reese", instead.
Rex FeaturesRobyn Rihanna Fenty
Robyn Rihanna Fenty decided to drop her forename and surname when she became famous.
Rex FeaturesMarco Antonio Muñiz
Marco Antonio Muñiz was named after a Mexican singer and changed his name to Marc Anthony to avoid confusion with his namesake.
Rex FeaturesCheryl Tweedy
Remember Cheryl Tweedy from Girls Aloud? She married a footballer, scored a gig on The X Factor and became Cheryl Cole, before she split from Ashley in 2010. She kept his surname for career purposes… Until now. Reports are suggesting that the lass from Newcastle is set to change her name once again, this time dropping her surname completely to become known simply as ‘Cheryl’. Will she stick with it, is the question?
PA PhotosKatheryn Elizabeth Hudson
Don’t you just hate it when you have to change your name because it’s too similar to an already-famous Hollywood actress? Katy Perry found herself in this predicament when her original recording name – Katy Hudson – was found to be just too similar to that of Kate Hudson. The singer swiftly changed her surname to her mother’s maiden name, ‘Perry’, and hasn’t looked back since.
WennHannah and Mary Fanning
Sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning both use their middle names instead of their first, meaning Mary became Elle, while Hannah is Dakota. Confused? We are a little as well, but we like to imagine that in a parallel universe somewhere, there is a sibling acting duo going by their original first names...
PA PhotosLizzie Grant
Before she was the hot new songstress on everyone’s radar, Lana Del Rey was plain Lizzie Grant, a struggling singer trying to land her big break after her first album sank without trace. A sizzling new image later - and a name change courtesy of her management – and the singer’s alter-ego was born.
PA PhotosSean Combs
One that no-one need be surprised about: P Diddy wasn’t actually born P Diddy... The rapper came into the world as Sean Combs and originally went by the moniker ‘Puff Daddy’, which he later changed to ‘P Diddy’ and then simply ‘Diddy’ (though he still uses the name P. Diddy in the UK as the result of a lawsuit). Got that? Diddy says he was given the nickname ‘Puff’ as a child because of the way he would “huff and puff” when he was angry, while ‘Daddy’ was a term for “playa”.
PA PhotosSusan Weaver
Sigourney Weaver was named ‘Susan’ in honour of her mother’s best friend, but the actress clearly felt that she was destined to be known by something a little more distinctive. In 1963, the 14-year-old changed her name to ‘Sigourney’, after being inspired by the character Sigourney Howard in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.
PA PhotosHeather Renée Sweet
In the world of burlesque, the ordinary names of everyday civilians simply won’t do. Blonde-haired Heather Renée Sweet from California set the bar high for the trend when she adopted the name ‘Dita’ as a tribute to silent film actress Dita Parlo, and chose the name ‘Von Treese’ at random from a phonebook (a resulting typo in her first shoot for Playboy led her to drop the ‘r’). The pin-up has since amassed a world-wide recognisable brand built on her name – not to mention that champagne act...
PA PhotosEileen Regina Edwards
Shania’s surname was legally changed to Twain when her mother re-married an Ojibwa man named Jerry Twain, who adopted the singer and her sisters. Tragically, Shania’s mother and Jerry died in a car accident in 1987, but the singer cemented her connection to her late step-father in around 1993 when she was signed by Mercury Nashville Records, and changed her name to Shania: a native American word meaning "on my way".
Rex FeaturesAudrey Ruston
She was the English Rose whose gamine looks and refined film presence made her a screen legend, but did you know that Audrey Hepburn was born with the slightly less movie-like surname of ‘Ruston’? Audrey’s father later double-barrelled the surname to become the more "aristocratic" Hepburn-Ruston, in the false belief that he had descended from James Hepburn (the third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots). While studying ballet in Amsterdam and working as a model, Audrey decided to drop ‘Ruston’ altogether and became the Audrey Hepburn.
PA PhotosOnika Tanya Maraj
Nicki Minaj was born Onika Tanya Maraj, but as if two sets of names weren’t enough, the rap queen announced on Twitter in May 2010: “I've officially changed my name and will only respond....to Roman. Roman Zolanski. Out.” Clearing up the confusion a couple of months later, Nicki explained: "As of now, you'll know Nicki and you'll know Roman - my crazy alter ego Roman Zolanski. But you'll meet Onika before the year ends." Judging from her crazy outfits in the years since, we wonder which is which?!
PA PhotosElizabeth Stamatina Fey
Tina Fey had already dropped her first name ‘Elizabeth’ during her high school and college years, as she wanted a name with more edge. The comedienne didn’t have to look far for her new moniker, as she took the second part of her middle name ‘Stamatina’, to become Tina. The ‘Stama’ part is still going spare though – any takers?
Rex FeaturesLarry Zeigler
Far from being a well-thought-out decision, chat show host Larry King’s surname transformation was a spur-of-the-moment change sparked by his first-ever DJ slot. Ten minutes before he was due on air, Larry was asked what he was going to call himself, but was told the name ‘Zeigler’ wouldn’t work, so his boss flipped open a newspaper lying around and saw an ad for King’s Wholesale Liquor. Needless to say, they settled on Larry ‘King’ rather than Larry ‘Liquor’...
Rex FeaturesOrpah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey’s name change is a simple tale of easier pronunciation... The chat show Queen was named ‘Orpah’ from the Book of Ruth in the Bible, but she became known as ‘Oprah’ almost immediately after her birth, as it was simply easier to spell and pronounce.
PA PhotosJohn Bongiovi
Born John Bongiovi, Jon began dropping the ‘h’ in his name during his teenage years but at this point he was only, er ‘halfway there’ to his final rock star name. It was during a brainstorming session for a band name that ‘Bon Jovi’– a slight modification of his surname – was settled on, and Jon promptly changed his surname to match.
Rex FeaturesEnrique Morales
Ricky Martin established his career on Latin charm, so his name change from Enrique to the more average-sounding Ricky may come as a surprise. However, the singer’s change of identity was in fact less for stage purposes and more to do with family feuding. After falling out with his same-named father, who asked him to choose between him and his mother, Enrique changed his name to Ricky and the pair didn’t speak for 10 years. They did, however, reconcile in 1994, but we’re guessing by that time, the name had stuck...
Rex FeaturesFarrokh Bulsara
The iconic Farrokh Bulsara – better known as Freddie Mercury - was born in Zanzibar to Parsi parents, and spent the bulk of his childhood in India. The young Farrokh is said to have started calling himself ‘Freddie’ while attending a British-style boarding school in Bombay, and later came up with the surname ‘Mercury’ from a lyric in his self-penned Queen song My Fairy Queen.
WENNMargaret Hyra
Say what you want about Meg Ryan, but you can’t deny that the actress doesn’t love a name change.... Meg famously renamed her adoptive daughter when the baby was a year old, explaining: "I thought she was Charlotte and she's just not - she's a Daisy.” Meg is no stranger to taking on a new identity herself: she changed her name from the straight-laced and ordinary sounding ‘Margaret Hyra’ to the decidedly more funky ‘Meg Ryan’ for her first foray into acting, and has stuck to the name ever since.
Rex FeaturesStevland Hardaway Judkins
Stevie Wonder was born Stevland Hardaway Judkins but his mother later changed his surname to Morris as she didn’t want him to carry the name of his absent father. However, the star’s transformation to the stage-name we all love and recognise came about after he was named “a little wonder” for his ability to play various instruments and still manage to sing at the same time.
Reginald Dwight
Before embarking upon his career, Elton John decided that Reginald Dwight just wouldn’t cut it, and chose his new, catchy moniker by combining the names of rhythm ‘n’ blues singer Long John Baldry and sax player Elton Dean. What we love Elton for most, however, is the fact that when he changed his name legally, he added in ‘Hercules’, thus becoming Elton Hercules John.
PA PhotosFlorian Cloud De Bounevialle Armstrong
While “Dido” may seem unique, the singer was christened with an altogether more intriguing set of names. On her birth certificate, she’s listed as Florian Cloud De Bounevialle Armstrong. However, rather than choose a new name for herself in later life, the singer’s parents had already begun to call her Dido, deriving from the mythical Queen of Carthage, while she was a child. Explaining the confusion, she once said: “To be called one thing and christened another is actually very confusing and annoying. It's one of the most irritating things that my parents did to me. … Florian is a German man's name. That's just mean. To give your child a whole lot of odd names. They were all so embarrassing. … I thought it was cruel to call me Dido and then expect me to just deal with it.”
PA PhotosLianne Piper
Back when she was still in combats singing Because We Want To, Billie Piper belonged to the ranks of stars who need only one name, and the teen sensation was known simply as Billie. The singer later included her surname when releasing further records, but a relatively unknown fact is that she was originally christened Lianne. The actress’ parents are reported to have changed her name to Billie just three weeks later - perhaps, just like Honey To The Bee, they were drawn to it...
Rex FeaturesDavid Robert Jones
Born David Robert Jones, Bowie is cited as changing his stage name in 1966 to avoid confusion with The Monkees singer Davy Jones. The iconic star reportedly chose his new name with Mick Jagger in mind, because he wanted a name with similar connotations of “cutting”. That – and a fascination with America – led him to taking inspiration from Jim Bowie, the 19th-century Texan pioneer famous for the eponymous Bowie knife.
PA PhotosOlivia Cockburn
What other reason could there possibly be to change your surname from Cockburn to Wilde than your family’s literary background? Olivia Wilde comes from a family of writers and took the step of changing her name as mark of admiration for Oscar Wilde – obviously.
WennJoaquin Rafael Bottom
Luckily for Joaquin Phoenix, when his parents left a religious cult they had the good sense to change the family name from Bottom. The Bottoms felt the need to leave their surname well and truly behind them and settled on the less laughable Phoenix instead.
PA PhotosIlynea Lydia Mironoff
Helen Mirren’s early life reads like a blockbuster. The actress was named Ilynea Lydia Mironoff by her Russian nobleman father but when the family were stranded in London during the Russian Revolution, he changed her name to avoid her being treated suspiciously during the Cold War.
PA PhotosMario Armado Lavandeira Jr
Mario took the pseudonym Perez Hilton when he started penning his shock blog. The US writer confessed to having two sides to his character in Perez and Mario – but which one gets the blame for his sharp tongue, we wonder?
Liv Rundgren
Liv Tyler’s mother claimed that rockstar Todd Rundgren was her biological father, but an inquisitive Liv began to ask one too many questions when she met Steven Tyler’s daughter, Mia - her likeness was uncanny. Her mum ‘fessed up and Liv changed her surname to Tyler.
PANicolas Kim Coppola
Not wanting to ride on the coattails of his famous uncle, Francis Ford Coppola’s success, Nicolas Cage decided to go incognito. The aspiring Hollywood actor rather fancied himself as a bit of a superhero and took his name from Marvel Comics’ Power Man, aka Luke Cage: a martial arts expert with arms of steel.
PA PhotosJonathan Michal Francis O’Keefe
Apart from finding the name O’Keefe boring, Jonathan Rhys Meyers didn’t feel it had enough razzle or dazzle to make him a star. The sexy Irish actor ditched it for his mother’s maiden name, and a star was born.
PA PhotosStacey Ann Ferguson
Being part of the Black Eyed Peas means you need to be hip and street, so Stacey Ann Ferguson was not going to cut it. She decided she needed to get down with the kids and opted for an abbreviation of her surname: Fergie.
PA PhotosCurtis Jackson James III
Could you take a rap star with such a posh sounding name seriously? 50 Cent didn’t think so, so he reinvented his name entirely, taking inspiration from an 80s robber who said: "I'm the same kind of person 50 Cent was. I provide for myself by any means.” Thankfully, he took to penning lyrics rather than robbing banks.
PA PhotosLaura Hollins
Agyness Deyn decided to change her name from the far less glamorous Laura Hollins after she consulted a numerology expert who said that the name was lucky. Something that certainly proved true.
PA PhotosTara Leigh Patrick
It was the legendary singer Prince who persuaded Tara Leigh Patrick to change her name to Carmen Electra – and she hasn’t looked back since!
PA PhotosCarlos Irwin Estevez
Like his father before him, Carlos Irwin Estevez changed his Spanish name to the more Americanised stage name Charlie Sheen. Interestingly his brother, Mighty Ducks star Emilio Estevez decided against this.
PA PhotosDavid McDonald
David McDonald was forced to change to
David Tennant after Equity forbade him from using his real name because it was already in use by a Scottish theatre actor. He chose Tennant because he was a fan of the Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant.
PA PhotosDemetria Gene Guynes
When she divorced her first husband Freddy Moore, Demi decided to keep his surname as it was what she was known by professionally.
PA PhotosEleanor Gow
Eleanor Gow changed to Elle Macpherson, taking her stepfather’s surname and shortening her forename, to further her career.
PA PhotosJennifer Anastassakis
Like her actor father, Yannis Anastassakis, Jen changed her Greek surname to the more Americanised (and easier to spell!) Aniston.
PA PhotosNatalie Hershlag
To protect her privacy, child star Natalie Hershlag changed her stage name to her grandmother’s surname, “Portman”, after getting the part in Luc Besson’s Leon.
PA PhotosJohn Osbourne
John Osbourne changed his name to the much more rock ‘n’ roll Ozzy when he started his band Black Sabbath.
Rex FeaturesAlecia Moore
Alecia Moore’s friends used to call her Pink because she blushed when she was embarrassed. Alecia later adopted it for her stage name.
PA PhotosSeal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel
Seal wisely shortened his name to his first name when he became famous – with a whopping six names on his birth certificate, we’d be impressed if even he could remember all of them...
PA PhotosEldrick Woods
Eldrick Woods got his fierce forename, "Tiger", from a Vietnamese soldier friend of his father, who had given his dad the same nickname.
PA PhotosMark Sinclair Vincent
Vin Diesel’s recognisable name is the result of two nicknames given by friends. His first name is a shortening of Vincent and “Diesel” is because his pals said he ran off it, describing his non-stop energy.
PA PhotosThomas Cruise Mapother IV
Tom dropped his abusive father’s surname, after his parents broke up, when he was 12.
PA PhotosAlicia Augello Cook
Alicia Cook originally changed her stage name to Wilde until her manager suggested Keys after a dream he had. Alicia instantly warmed to the name as she felt it represented her professionally and personally.
PA PhotosMichael Douglas
Batman star Michael Keating had to change his surname from Douglas to avoid confusion with the Basic Instinct actor. After reading an article on Diane Keaton, who ironically has also changed her name, he decided on “Michael Keaton”.
Rex FeaturesGeorgios Panayiotou
As his band Wham! became increasingly successful, Georgios Panayiotou, the son of a Greek restaurateur, simplified his name to the easier-to-say George Michael.
PA PhotosEric Bishop
There’s no denying that Jamie Foxx is cool but would he be as a smooth character if he’d kept his birth name Eric Bishop? We think not.
PA PhotosMaria Nunez
Mariah’s Venezuelan grandfather changed his name to Carey on moving to New York as he thought that the name would help him settle better in the US. The singer’s first name was inspired by "They Call The Wind Maria", which is spelt without the “h” but pronounced Mariah.
Rex FeaturesWalter Willis
Bruce Willis talked about changing his name from Walter in the most expensive TV advert ever, made for Aviva Insurance.
PA PhotosWinona Horowitz
Winona Laura Horowitz uses the professional name of Winona Ryder when she’s working.
Rex FeaturesCaryn Johnson
Caryn Johnson’s stage name came from a whoopee cushion. "If you get a little gassy, you've got to let it go. So people used to say to me, 'You're like a whoopee cushion.' And that's where the name came from," Whoopi revealed. The actress adopted her surname because her mother thought Johnson wasn’t Jewish enough to make her a star.
PA PhotosCherilyn
Cherilyn shortened her name when she became a star and eventually legally changed it to Cher, with no surname or middle name, in 1979.
Rex FeaturesAshley Ciminella
Ashley Ciminella took her mother’s maiden name “Judd” when her parents divorced because she thought it had more star power.
PA PhotosJim Moir
James Roderick Moir is known by his family as Rod, his friends as Jim and the rest of the world as Vic Reeves. His stage name came about while he was doing the stand-up circuit in the London.
Rex FeaturesChloé Wang
Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. star Chloé Wang - or as you might know her, Chloe Bennet - took to Instagram to share her frustration about the prejudice against Asians in the entertainment industry and the reason why she had to change her name: “Hollywood is racist and wouldn’t cast me with a last name that made them uncomfortable".
