Celebs Who Changed Their Names

Celebs Who Changed Their Names - Not everyone is born with a name that belongs on a billboard. Some stars had to ditch their original first and last for something that would sizzle in bright lights. Find out which of your favorite stars traded in their birth names for something more showbiz-friendly, and learn what they used to be called back in the day. Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, katy perry boyfriend,

Take Katy Perry, for example. She's made quite a name for herself, but the name she made isn't the one she was born with. She changed her last name to her mother's maiden title to differentiate herself from an established, soundalike actress.

There's probably more than a few young Ashtons out there who were born after the actor's breakout on "That '70s Show." Sure, it's fashionable now, but there's a reason it wasn't a typical first name before: It wasn't the name Ashton Kutcher was born with. ashton kutcher visited demi, ashton kutcher dated january jones,

Just looking at Nicki Minaj, it's a safe bet that she's... modified. People do not naturally come in quite so many colors. But Minaj's personal metamorphosis included a name change, too.

He's gone from being just a comedian to a respected member of the American media landscape -- an election-influencer, even. But would Jon Stewart have gotten as far had he stuck with his birth name? Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz,

Oh, no worries. Drake’s name really is “Drake.” It’s just not his first name. At birth, this rapper was given a unisex name that doesn’t really fit into his chosen industry. Aubrey Drake Graham,

Charlie Sheen’s life is complicated for oh so many reasons, and his name strangeness doesn’t help. The son of actor Martin Sheen, Charlie inherited his dad’s stage title, but it’s not the one they gave him at birth. carlos irwin estevez, charlie sheen anger management,

It’s a strange case when “Garth” is the more normal-sounding of your given names, but that’s what happened with this country legend. Yes, his real first name is even more unusual. Troyal Garth Brooks

She’s one of the few stars who can dispose of her last name without seeming pretentious, but did you know that “Rihanna” isn’t even Rihanna’s real first name? Robyn Fenty, rihanna battleship,

She’s become one of the top names in comedy, but “Tina” isn’t Tina Fey’s real name, though “30 Rock” fans might be able to guess what is. No, her real name is considerably longer. elizabeth stamatina fey,

Demi’s ex-husband — err, the older one, that is — also grew up going by a name different than the one that eventually showed up on movie marquees. Maybe “Bruce Willis” just sounded cooler? walter willis, bruce willis emma heming age difference,

You have to wonder: Would Jennifer Aniston have risen to fame if she had entered showbiz with her birth name? Jennifer Anastassakis (Aniston),

Is “John” his last name or just part of a double first name? That’s a question only the man himself can answer. Elton John was born with three names, neither of which is “Elton” or “John.” Reginald Kenneth Dwight,

As a writer and actress, Mindy Kaling has often incorporated her Indian heritage into her work. But when she entered show business, this “The Office” star hacked a lot of letters off her name to make it easier for English-speakers to spell. Vera Mindy Chokalingam, mindy kaling book excerpt,

He may be known to most of the world as “Kumar,” but in real life, Kal Penn hasn’t even been “Kal Penn” all that long. In fact, his stage name is just a variation on the first name his parents gave him. Kalpen Suresh Modi,

Would you believe that someone would choose to be known as “Whoopi Goldberg”? Because this lady didn’t always have the name. Even more surprising, she got her first name from a nickname she got as a result of her reputation for being gassy. No, really. caryn elaine johnson,

Miley is actually just a nickname for “Smiley,” which her family once called her. And no, the real name isn’t “Hannah Montana.” Destiny Hope Cyrus, miley cyrus stoner,

Dakota Fanning’s days as Hollywood’s go-to moppet may have helped popularize her name, but she was born with a different, though equally fashionable, name. Hannah Dakota Fanning, dakota fanning fragrance banned,

Today, Reese Witherspoon has a style that you might call “classic Reese,” but she was born with a less “Hollywood” name. +Laura Jeanne Witherspoon, reese witherspoon python bag,

Jon Bon Jovi’s actual name isn’t all that different from his stage name. He switched because he wanted one that everyone could spell and pronounce. John Francis Bongiovi,

He’s not the only actor in the family, but Tom Cruise is the only one to go by the surname “Cruise,” which he borrowed from his great-great-grandfather to sound a little flashier. Tom Cruise born William Mapother IV ,

No, Demi Moore’s name doesn’t mean “half.” It’s a nickname. And she got her now-famous last name from her first husband, Freddy Moore. “Demetria Gene Guynes” (Demi Moore), Demi Guynes Kutcher, demi moore weight loss,

Though Natalie is probably quite proud of her family name, even she realized that it doesn’t have quite as nice a ring to it as her grandmother’s maiden name, Portman, does. Natalie Hershlag,

Olivia Wilde claims citizenship in both the U.S. and Ireland, and Irish playwright Oscar Wilde inspired her stage name. Why the change? Her actual last name was definitely not A-list material. Olivia Cockburn, olivia wilde prince,

Jamie Foxx improved on his more humdrum given name by paying tribute to one of his idols, comedian Redd Foxx. Jamie Foxx born Eric Marlon Bishop,

Helen Mirren was originally known to her family by a traditionally Russian name. Good thing, though, because it's a mouthful. Ilyena Vasilievna Mironov,

It's pretty easy to guess why Lea Michele dropped her last name. It happens to sound less melodic than this songbird would like. Lea Michele Sarfati, lea michele sarah hyland,

Like Ritchie Valens before him, Ricky Martin dropped a traditionally Spanish name for a similar sounding one that would fly in English- and Spanish-speaking countries. Enrique Morales (Ricky Martin),

She may forever be Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman in our hearts, but there was a time before that, when Jane Seymour wasn't even "Jane Seymour." In fact, she chose the stage name in honor of King Henry VIII's third wife. Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg, jane seymour jewelry collection,

Shania Twain has changed her name twice: First she was adopted and took her stepfather's name. Then, early in her career, the songstress switched her first name to an Ojibwa word meaning "on my way." Eileen Regina Edwards,

Come on -- didn't you think "Vin Diesel" sounded a little bit too much like an action hero? His birth name is a little less high-octane. Vin Diesel born Mark Sinclair Vincent, vin diesel riddick, vin diesel iron giant,

Her name embodies the cute-as-a-button schtick that made her famous, and there's no way Meg Ryan's career would have turned out the way it did had she stuck with her original clunker. margaret mary emily anne hyra, meg ryan plastic surgery, meg ryan john mellencamp,

Good thing Prince gave Carmen Electra her moniker. Her real name happens to be very similar to that of a certain adult film star. Tara Leigh Patrick, prince's proteges,

As a teenager in her native Australia, Portia de Rossi dreamed up her current name in order to sound famous and stylish. And that's exactly what she became. Amanda Lee Rogers (Portia de Rossi), Portia Lee James DeGeneres , portia de rossi brad pitt,

A little Christian, a little outdoorsy, Faith Hill sounds like a country singer's name. This lady's birth name apparently didn't. Audrey Faith Perry (Faith Hill), faith hill red carpet, faith hill tim mcgraw fragrance,

It's one of the most recognizable names in sports, but it was only given to him by a friend of his father. His real names are English and Thai, respectively. Eldrick Tont Woods, who is tiger woods dating, tiger woods divorce settlement,

As the only girl in the family band, Marie Osmond made the right call, going by a prettier name than the drab-sounding one her parents gave her. marie osmond plastic surgery,

The late Natalie Wood is forever remembered for the way she lit up the silver screen. But you have to wonder how Wood's life might have been different if she had kept the name her Russian immigrant parents gave her. natalia nikolaevna zakharenko, natalie wood murder investigation,

Steven Tyler's adopted last name might sound more rock-and-roll, but there's a certain charm in the one he left behind.

Before she was Anna Nicole Smith, she was Nikki Hart. And before that, there was that name she was actually born with. dannielynn birkhead today,

Chevy Chase dropped his nerdy sounding name in favor of his now-famous one. And the current one comes from an English ballad, not from the city of Chevy Chase. Cornelius Crane Chase, watch community online,

Tina Turner's marriage to Ike Turner may have been troubled, but she kept the marquee-friendly name he assigned to her early in her career nonetheless.

It's different for actors today, but way back when, Martin Sheen felt he had to drop his non-English-sounding name in order to land roles. Ramon Gerardo Antonio Estevez, martin sheen charlie sheen,

John Wayne famously had a name that was not especially manly-sounding. We're fairly certain that not too many people got away with teasing him, though. Marion Morrison (John Wayne), john wayne cancer institute,

Today the KISS frontman is Gene Simmons. Before that, he was Eugene Klein. And before that, he had an even less rock-and-roll-sounding name.