Gene Simmons (Real Name is Chaim Witz)
We’re dead serious when kicking off this piece. Gene Simmons — the man with the crazy-long tongue/arguable face of Kiss/noted business genius — was actually not born with this name. Instead, his beloved mother gifted him with the name Chaim Witz. Both of his parents hailed from Hungary, and raised Simmons in Israel before moving to New York when he was a child. In the following years, Simmons became enthralled with music. So much, in fact, that his stage name ‘Gene Simmons’ was partially selected as a tribute to fellow musician “Jumpin” Gene Simmons.
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Michael Caine (Real Name is Maurice Micklewhite)
Michael Caine clearly isn’t a fan of alliteration. The famed British actor has been on the silver screen since 1950 (when he was 17 years old). Now age 89, many would be surprised to learn that ‘Michael Caine’ isn’t really ‘Michael Caine’ after all. He was named Maurice Micklewhite (after his father). After required military service, he entered the realm of theater. ‘Michael White’ was his first stage name — though that was changed to ‘Michael Caine’ (after seeing The Caine Mutiny) after learning of another Michael White actor (who was a competitor).
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Judy Garland (Real Name is Frances Ethel Gumm)
The origin of Judy Garland’s stage name remains a bit of a mystery. Born into an acting family, Frances Gumm left her native Minnesota for Southern California when she was four years old. The name ‘Frances Gumm’ didn’t sit well allegedly with some of the studio execs. With her popularity growing, Judy Garland was the name chosen. Where that name came from, however, still isn’t completely known to this day. Some say it emanated from performer George Jessel. Others insist the name ‘Garland’ came from a film critic. Either way, Gumm and her sisters all adopted the name — going from The Gumm Sisters to The Garland Sisters.
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Bruno Mars (Real Name is Peter Hernandez)
It doesn’t take much thought to realize that Bruno Mars isn’t the real first name of this performer from Hawaii (despite it being a very cool name nonetheless). On October 8, 1985, a baby named Peter Hernandez was born. Little did we know that he’d one day become a global pop star. The name ‘Bruno’ was a childhood nickname given to him from his father (who said he resembled a professional wrestler with the same name). According to the performer, ‘Mars’ was reportedly used as a way of not being stereotyped by industry officials as being only a Latino singer solely singing in Spanish. He also wanted a last name with some “pizzazz” (as he mentioned in an interview).
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Bo Derek (Real Name is Mary Collins)
Bo Derek was an absolute bombshell during the height of her professional career. Hailing from Southern California, her actual name is Mary Collins. The surname ‘Derek’ came from her marriage to actor/director John Derek. Before she got involved with her future husband, she had another stage name called Bo Shane. Wanting to make it easy, she just combined the two — and ‘Bo Derek’ was formed. Today, she’s married to fellow actor John Corbett.
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Ben Kingsley (Real Name is Krishna Bhanji)
The actor we all know as Ben Kingsley had a very interesting upbringing. His dad’s family was from Africa (by way of India). His mother was English with some reported Russian-Jewish heritage. His birth name of Krishna Bhanji certainly paid homage to his father’s side of the family. In his early 20’s, he changed his name — reportedly worrying that his birth name would prevent him from earning various roles. As he volunteered in an interview, the name change resulted in a flurry of jobs (which weren’t coming when he went by Krishna Bhanji).
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Billie Eilish (Real Name is Billie O’Connell)
The 20-year-old out of Los Angeles has become a phenom in the world of music. In just a short few years, Eilish is already considered to be among the most popular singers on the planet. Adding to her mystique is a name which some could consider anything but common. Billie is indeed her real first name. Eilish is also a part of her name…though it’s not the performer’s surname. In total, the singer’s full name is Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell. Baird is her mother’s maiden name. According to the singer, ‘Eilish’ was supposed to be her first name — whereas ‘Pirate’ was aimed to be her only middle name (due to her then-four-year-old older brother liking the name for his sister). Alas, Billie was a tribute to her late grandfather, Bill.
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Whoopi Goldberg (Real Name is Caryn Johnson)
A born and bred New Yorker, Whoopi has been starring on stage for nearly half a century. Though rooted in comedy, she’s proven countless times to be a very talented performer in the realm of drama. Simply put, there’s no type of role Whoopi can’t play (hence her standing as an EGOT). The name ‘Whoopi’ comes from — you guessed it — a whoopee cushion (harking back to her stand-up days). The origin of Goldberg is a bit hazier to ascertain — though reports indicate it may have come from Whoopi’s mother’s side of the family.
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The Sheen Family (Real Names are Ramon and Carlos Estevez)
Few people might know that Martin Sheen is the son of immigrants. His mother was from Ireland, and his father from Spain. Growing up in Ohio, Sheen was born with the name Ramon Antonio Gerardo Estevez. When he eventually became an actor, he wanted to simplify his name (as getting an acting gig was tough enough at the time). ‘Sheen’ came from a Catholic archbishop, and ‘Martin’ emanated from a casting director. Interestingly enough, Sheen was quoted as saying he regrets the change — and wishes he stuck with his legal name.
His son Charlie became famous initially for his acting ability, and later for his off-screen life. Charlie’s real name is actually Carlos Estevez. He took his father’s stage name — whereas brother Emilio Estevez stuck with the family’s real name.
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Freddie Mercury (Real Name is Farrokh Bulsara)
Freddie Mercury is iconic for more reasons than one. Forget the singing ability and style…the name itself just screams rock star. From a young age, the English performer surely knew that. Born in Tanzania, Mercury was the son of two parents hailing originally from India. Having spent much of his younger life in India, he and his family eventually moved to the U.K. Post-college, Mercury formed the band which we all know as Queen. Freddie certainly appears to be a bastardized version of his birth name Farrokh. In the band’s early goings, it was reported that he legally changed his name to Mercury paying homage to a lyric he had in one of the band’s songs.
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Elton John (Real Name is Reginald Dwight)
Who knew that a shy English boy named Reginald Dwight would one day emerge as one of the biggest rock stars on the planet? Dwight had a gift for music right away in a house which didn’t necessarily promote the passions of following his dreams. He started a band as a teen — taking parts of names from two fellow bandmembers to create the ‘Elton John’ moniker. The singer legally changed his name to Elton John early in the ’70’s, and thus a titan in the entertainment emerged from the heavy ashes of his home life and exploded as a colorful, flamboyant, and highly driven performer.
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Emma Stone (Real Name is Emily Stone)
This one isn’t too far off from her actual name. Following her performance in Superbad, Emma Stone became a pretty big star in the world of acting. She has a unique voice, boatloads of talent, and the range to play a myriad of different roles. Stone grew up in the affluent suburbs of Phoenix where by all indications enjoyed a very normal upbringing. Eventually as a teen, she left her native Arizona and headed West for the glitz and glamor of Hollywood. Soon enough Emily ‘Emma’ Stone started booking jobs — and the rest is history.
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Jamie Foxx (Real Name is Eric Bishop)
The actor known as Jamie Foxx is one of the most versatile performers in the industry today. While we know he can sing, dance, and crush it as a dramatic actor, the Texas native actually first cut his teeth as a stand-up comic. He was born with the name Eric Bishop back in 1967. The stage/surname ‘Foxx’ was said to have happened based upon his fondness for legendary performer Redd Foxx. At the time, it was said that female comedians would be called upon stage first to perform at gigs, and then the men would follow. An eager and impatient comic, Foxx decided to come upon the name ‘Jamie’ — where people may misconstrue it as a female name. Ultimately, it all worked out super well.
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Julianne Moore (Real Name is Julie Smith)
Famed actress Julianne Moore was an army brat — literally growing up all over the United States. When she decided to become an actress, it was time for Moore to register her official stage name. Her birth name — Julie Smith — was already taken. Wanting to stand out with her own unique name, the actress decided to get creative with the help of her parents. ‘Anne’ was added to her first name in honor of her mother’s first name. From there, ‘Moore’ was selected due to the fact it’s her father’s middle name. Thus, star actress Julianne Moore was born!
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Tom Cruise (Real Name is Thomas Mapother IV)
This one might surprise you. Tom Cruise is a near-perfect actor name. It rolls off the tongue seamlessly, it’s easy to spell, and it just sounds cool. Even though Cruise sounds like a totally made-up name, it’s actually his given middle name from birth. In fact, it’s also his father’s middle name. Cruise’s real name is Thomas Cruise Mapother IV. While Mapother is a fine surname…it doesn’t scream ‘A-List megastar’ in the same way that Cruise does. Regardless, few people know Cruise’s real name to this day.
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Lana Del Rey (Real Name is Elizabeth Grant)
Lana Del Rey has a bit of a mysterious persona. Her music is whimsical and airy — as if it were floating in the air. She seems detached on stage from those she’s performing for (though in all actuality, the singer is quite involved with her fans). She was once know as Elizabeth ‘Lizzy’ Grant — a girl hailing from rural Lake Placid. Eventually, a persona was created in correspondence with her newfound career as a singer in New York City. Lana Del Rey, as the singer admitted, specifically came from wanting a glamorous name in the wake of her constant trips to Florida. Duly, the name ‘Lana’ is also said to hail from actress Lana Turner.
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Jason Alexander (Real Name is Jay Greenspan)
Seinfeld was Jason Alexander’s coming out party. George Costanza was reportedly based after co-creator Larry David. Alexander’s portrayal of the character was absolutely hilarious — from his physical comedy to the explosive reactions (both verbal and facially). Alexander is a veteran of the stage, and those chops also aided in what’s amounted to a very long and successful career (both on television/in film). The New Jersey native opted for a stage name once his career as a magician ended. Jay is close enough to Jason, and Alexander is actually the first name of his father.
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Reese Witherspoon (Real Name is Laura Witherspoon)
The affable Reese Witherspoon has long been a favorite within the industry. She’s acted professionally for over 20 years, and has featured in a number of massive projects. Witherspoon had a classic Southern upbringing — born in New Orleans and raised in Tennessee. While ‘Reese’ is a name we automatically associate with the actor (and peanut butter cups), it’s actually not her birth name. Her first name is actually Laura — and her two middle names are Jeanne Reese. In total, her actual full name is Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon.
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Angelina Jolie (Real Name is Angelina Voight)
It’s pretty common for people to use their middle names in some form or fashion. In this case, famed actress Angelina Jolie uses her actual middle name as a substitute for her real-life surname. Many are surprised to learn that Angelina is in fact the biological daughter of veteran actor Jon Voight. The relationship between the two had repeatedly always been volatile. So volatile, in fact, that Jolie legally petitioned to change her last name from Voight to Jolie. Fortunately, reports indicate the two have aimed to repair their relationship.
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Vin Diesel (Real Name is Mark Sinclair)
Groot, Xander Cage, Dom Toretto…we’ve seen all of these names associated with Vin Diesel. For one thing, the name ‘Vin Diesel’ itself is as cool of a name as you’ll find. The actor named Mark Sinclair actually adopted this stage name when he was a teenager. As the story goes, ‘Vin’ comes from his stepfather’s surname of Vincent. ‘Diesel’ is said to emanate from the actor’s propensity for buzzing around. As such, you’re left with one of the greatest action hero names of all-time.
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Mindy Kaling (Real Name is Vera Chokalingham)
Comedy star Mindy Kaling has a stage name far different from the one she was given at birth. As the story goes, Kaling reportedly rarely gets called by her actual birth name Instead, her parents — both from India — wanted to give their daughter more of a American name. As many who came before them immigrating into the states, they were ironically influenced by television. The name ‘Mindy’ came reportedly from none other than the sitcom Mork and Mindy, as her mom reportedly liked the name (and was a fan of the show).
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Real Name is Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr.)
At age 24 — only a few years into his professional career — the man they once called “Lew” Alcindor would now be called Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It was at this time where he converted to Islam, and thus wanted to be referred to by his Muslim name. This came on the heels of a lengthy trip to Africa. An often introspective and academic person, Abdul-Jabbar has often spoke about the history of his ancestors — many of which — according to Kareem — were Muslim slaves brought over to the United States.
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Lil Dicky (Real Name is David Burd)
Philadelphia native Lil Dicky was once not a rapper lamenting (comedically) over the size of his penis. There was a time where he was a serious college student — and eventual marking executive under his birth name David Burd. Lil Dicky’s creative side was always present, which is why he eventually left the white collar world for one rooted in entertainment. The rap moniker was parodying a personal medical condition he has in real life. When he got his own television show, he floated back to his birth name (though he still goes by both depending on the situation).
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Snoop Dogg (Real Name is Calvin Broadus)
One word: Snoop. He is universally known around the world for essentially being one of the planet’s biggest pop culture icons. He started out as a rapper from Long Beach before revolutionizing the genre in the 1990’s. From there, he morphed a bit more mainstream — putting out pop hits to help connect with different demographics. Guest starring roles and cameos on television/in film soon followed, and it only enhanced Snoop’s profile further. As for his stage name, the man born Calvin Broadus was called ‘Snoopy’ by his parents based upon his love of the cartoon.
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Rihanna (Real Name is Robyn Fenty)
Barbados native Robyn Rihanna Fenty has become a global star over the last decade — both for her musical prowess and for her cosmetics empire. As one can see, ‘Rihanna’ was chosen as her stage name. Interestingly enough, her beauty company is called Fenty Beauty (stemming from her surname). For many musicians, they opt to pick names with virtually zero ties to their families. In this case, RiRi is clearly paying homage to her family in Barbados.
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Brad Pitt (Real Name is William Bradley Pitt)
Brad Pitt has been the sex icon for upwards of 25 years. Even to this day, he still drives people crazy. Anywhere you go, the name ‘Brad Pitt’ creates a very visceral reaction. Interestingly enough, Brad is actually the shortened form of his middle name (Bradley). Not only that, but William is actually the first name of his father. From that perspective, he’d be William Pitt Jr.
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Jason Sudeikis (Real Name is Daniel Sudeikis)
Ted Lasso himself introduced a slight alteration to his birth name. Sudeikis himself was named after his father (also a Daniel). However, Daniel Jason Sudeikis decided to just go by ‘Jason’ as his primary acting name. After cutting his teeth in the Chicago improv scene, Sudeikis moved to SNL in New York — where he eventually parlayed that success into a run of films. However, to this point, we’d have to say that Ted Lasso is the most impactful thing he’s created to date.
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Carroll O’Connor (Real Name is John O’Connor)
Sitcom actor Carroll O’Connor was a heavyweight within the realm of comedy. His animated reactions were legendary — as were the elements of physical comedy. Few possessed his presence on stage, which automatically drew all of the attention seemingly to him. Surely wanting a stage name with a bit more pizzazz than ‘John’ (apologizes to all of the Johns out there), he opted for his middle name of Carroll. It served him well, as he initially did theater stateside and in Ireland become emerging on television.
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Diablo Cody (Real Name is Brook Busey)
Diablo Cody is halfway towards being a member of the prestigious EGOT group. You read this correctly — as Cody won an Oscar for best original screenplay of her debut film Juno. She also won a Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for Jagged Little Pill. Of course, Diablo Cody is only a stage name for Illinois native Brook Busey. The name ‘Diablo Cody’ came from when she was on a road trip driving through Cody, Wyoming — with the song “El Diablo” by Arcadia playing over the radio. Ultimately, the unique name simply stuck.
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Miley Cyrus (Real Name is Destiny Cyrus)
Destiny Hope Cyrus — better known as Miley Cyrus — is a global superstar. Hannah Montana allowed for her to really break out as a starlet among younger children. As she got older, Cyrus became edgier — and went full-bore into the realm of music (where dad, Billy Ray, is quite successful). We can’t see how ‘Miley’ came from Cyrus’ actual name. As such, how did it happen? As the legend goes, Cyrus was reportedly a very smiley baby. The ‘S’ was dropped at some point, and thus ‘Miley’ became the preferred choice.
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Kevin Spacey (Real Name is Kevin Fowler)
Kevin Spacey’s once-respected career has since fallen off a cliff based on a number of sexual assault allegations (reportedly in both the U.S. and the U.K). At one time, he was an A-Lister with roles in a number of very prominent films and television shows. The Southern Californian grew up in ‘the valley’ before ultimately becoming a professional actor. Spacey was used as his stage surname — though in all actuality it was both his middle name/his grandmother’s maiden name.
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Brie Larson (Real Name is Brianne Desaulnier)
This is the classic case of an actor who wanted to make things easier on everyone else. Brie’s real last name stems from her father’s French-Canadian heritage. Based upon its spelling and high likelihood in being mispronounced, Larson decided to go in another direction. From there, Brie decided to change both her first and last names. Brie is relatively close to Brianne (we can clearly see the link). As for ‘Larson’, reports indicate that this surname was her great-grandmother’s.
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Steph Curry (Real Name is Wardell Curry II)
Wardell Stephen Curry II is the best shooter in the history of professional basketball. You may know him more affectionately as ‘Steph’ Curry of the Golden State Warriors. His dad, Wardell Sr., was also a professional basketball player. Also like his son, he opted to go with a nickname (in his case, ‘Dell’ Curry). Steph plays the game, as they say, Stephortlessly. We’d be hard-pressed to find a more apt pun if he were to have gone by Wardell.
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Nicki Minaj (Real Name is Onika Maraj)
This is an interesting one. Pop star/rapper extraordinaire Nicki Minaj ended up developing this stage name from her own name (which weirdly happens to somewhat rhyme with one another). At first, Nicki was actually going to stick with her actual surname and go by ‘Nicki Maraj’. Instead, reportedly one of her earlier record label execs suggested that she change it slightly to ‘Minaj’. Since then, the Trinidadian vocalist has burst onto the scene — selling over 100 million records across the globe.
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Natalie Portman (Real Name is Natalie Hershlag)
Natalie Portman is one of the most well-respected actors in Hollywood. Aside from being a fantastic talent, she also was able to evade many of the pit falls former child actors had to endure. Along with that, many child actors end up peaking in their early 20’s. As for Portman, she continues to feature in bigger and bigger roles. As for her stage name, ‘Portman’ was a family name taken as a means to reportedly protect her privacy when she was a young actress starting out.
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Natalie Wood (Real Name is Natasha Zacharenko)
Natalie Wood is not the first person who’s birth name was changed to ‘fit in better’ within the American landscape in the ’10’s, ’20’s, and ’30’s. In fact, many immigrant families unfortunately were forced to shun their cultures in favor of their newfound land. Wood’s family on both sides came from Russia (hence her immensely Russian-sounding birth name). When Wood became a child actor, execs changed her last name reportedly to Wood.
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Post Malone (Real Name is Austin Post)
The story behind Post Malone’s stage name is absolutely hilarious. The rapper — raised in both Texas and New York — was looking for the perfect name as an aspiring musician. As all of us have done at one point or another, the rapper used a rap name generator. Sticking with his real-life surname of Post, the name ‘Malone’ was then added. In the process, this simple rap name generator created the persona of arguably the most famous musician currently on the planet to date.
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Mahershala Ali (Real Name is Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore)
Mahershala Ali is a titan within the entertainment industry. The Bay Area native has won two Oscar’s for Best Supporting Actor. He’s also won a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globes Award, and an Emmy. Simply put, there’s no role Ali can’t play. As you can see, Mahershala is a shortened version of his name. When he was a basketball player in college, he even was known as Hershal. Once Mahershala later converted to Islam, he changed his last name to Ali.
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Lizzo (Real Name is Melissa Jefferson)
Melissa Jefferson — hailing from Minneapolis by way of Detroit and Houston — is the famed artist currently known as Lizzo. The 3-time Grammy winner has blown up with her colorful lyrics, powerful vocals, and aim to promote body positivity in a fun and loving way. When she first started out, she — like many millennials — loved Jay-Z. The song “Izzo (H.O.V.A)” was somewhat close to her shortened version of Melissa (‘Lissa’). As such, ‘Lizzo’ came from it. Based upon the popularity of her past albums, we’re certain she’s soon going to release a new group of banger anthems that people can get behind.
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Tim Allen (Real Name is Timothy Alan Dick)
We really don’t blame Allen for this choice. Without repeating his surname, one could imagine the jokes being made at the expense of the four-letter word. ‘Alan’ is his middle name — though the Michigan native slightly altered the spelling. Starting out initially as a stand-up comic, Allen quickly moved to the world of acting. Home Improvement was the big break — followed by The Santa Clause and the Toy Story franchise. Ever since then, Allen has been steadily acting on both platforms since the late ’80’s/early ’90’s.
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Christopher Walken (Real Name is Ronald Walken)
As he approaches his 80th birthday, it’s hard to believe Christopher Walken has been a working actor since the age of nine. Walken grew up in New York with a mother from Scotland, and a father from Germany. Roughly 10 years into his acting career, ‘Ronnie’ (as he was referred to) was talked into changing his name to Christopher. Reportedly, it was actress Monique van Vooren who insisted Walken go by ‘Chris’ rather than ‘Ronnie’. After all of these years, it ended up sticking.
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Julie Bowen (Real Name is Julie Luetkemeyer)
The star of Happy Gilmore and Modern Family has a much different name than you may think. Actress Julie Bowen was actually born with the name Julie Luetkemeyer. Ironically enough, her sister Annie still goes by the family’s original surname — and is a famed Professor in San Francisco specializing in infectious diseases. It’s not certain how she got the name ‘Bowen’ — though in comparison to her surname, it’s much easier presumably to pronounce and spell.
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Nic Cage (Real Name is Nicolas Coppola)
If you didn’t know…now you know. Nic Cage — yes, that Nic Cage — is a member of the famed Coppola family. Nic’s father is the brother of none other than Francis Ford Coppola. Aside from uncle Francis and aunt Talia Shire, Nic is first cousins to Roman and Sofia Coppola, and Jason Schwartzman. While it could’ve been easy for Nic to break into the industry with his family’s famous surname, he wanted to forge his own path and not rely on his uncle. Partially, ‘Cage’ is said to come from comic book personality Luke Cage.
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Liam Neeson (Real Name is William Neeson)
Liam Neeson has recently morphed from a Rom-Com actor into an action star over the last decade-plus. It’s sort of fun to see, as Neeson’s physically-imposing frame pairs with a soft, Irish lilt to create a guy who doesn’t take any stuff from anyone. There’s not much info on why Neeson opted for ‘Liam’ over his first/middle names of William or John. Those may have been too common for the time period, which could have been why Neeson opted for a very Irish first name. Alas, the decision certainly didn’t hurt his career at all.
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Ringo Starr (Real Name is Richard Starkey)
The famed drummer of The Beatles originally wasn’t supposed to be in the band. It wasn’t until he replaced Pete Best that the iconic figure became one of the famed band members. ‘Ringo’ isn’t too far of a stretch from the name Richard (though he was originally named after his father — and held the childhood nickname of ‘Richy’). The addition of ‘Starr’ was perfect for a real rock star. All Ringo did was shorten his original surname of Starkey. We’d say that proved to be a wise decision.
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Will Ferrell (Real Name is John Ferrell)
This one might shock you a bit. We all know Will Ferrell from a plethora of comedic exploits beginning in the ’90’s. His ability to connect to audiences is legendary — especially when much of it is improvisational in nature. There are even those actors/entertainers we know by a single name. If you hear ‘Will’ mentioned from an entertainment standpoint, more often than not we’re talking about this guy. Well, as fate would have it, Ferrell’s real name is John William Ferrell. For whatever reason, the middle name took prominence — and ‘Will’ ended up sticking.
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Meat Loaf (Real Name is Marvin Aday)
The late singer Meat Loaf was a blast to watch live. Rooted in various rock genres, he provided audiences with some highly energetic performances. Eventually, the native of Dallas made his way out to Los Angeles — fully cultivating his standing as a true rock star. The name ‘Meat Loaf’ surely isn’t the man’s birthname. However, the story surrounding the stage name is rather special. It stemmed from a few things — one of which came from when his father reportedly said the singer resembled a pile of red meat when he was a baby. Meat Loaf was also supposedly a portly child growing up — hence why the nickname ‘Meat Loaf’ stuck.
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Stockard Channing (Real Name is Susan Stockard)
Brooklyn actress Susan Stockard has enjoyed a career which has spanned more than 50 years. We all know Stockard from Grease — though she continued to act in some very critically-acclaimed films/shows after that. Her stage name ‘Stockard Channing’ is a bit unique. She simply combined two of her names to form the stage name she’s famous for. Of course, ‘Stockard’ is her surname by birth. ‘Channing’ was the surname of her first husband, Walter. The couple were married for only four years.
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Iggy Azalea (Real Name is Amethyst Kelly)
Iggy’s path to stardom was far from conventional. She left her native Australia at 16 — hoping to latch on somewhere to perfect her musical craft in the United States. Her birth name of Amethyst is pretty, though it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. Wanting to come up with something that worked, Iggy combined the name of her dog (Iggy) along with the street name (Azalea) she grew up on. Hence, the rap superstar Iggy Azalea was born.
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Rebel Wilson (Real Name is Melanie Bownds)
Australian actress Rebel Wilson has been a fixture in comedy within the United States dating back to her breakout role on Bridesmaids. Since then, her clever wit and excellent joke-telling had led to her truly developing into a star. Her name ‘Rebel’ is noteworthy — as it’s not her birth name. Her mother reportedly loved the name, but was pressured by family members to go with a more conventional name. Interestingly enough, Rebel and her siblings all go by unique names to this day. Her siblings go by the names of Ryot, Liberty, and Annarchi.
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