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We’re fascinated by celebrity kid names. Stormi, North West, Chicago (actually, make that the name of every child in the Kardashian-Jenner clan).
But have you ever stopped to think that celebrities themselves aren’t who you think they are? Never mind what they’ve named their children, celebrities real names are way more interesting!
It is fairly common for actors, singers and models to go by a different name when they enter the entertainment industry. The most common reason is that they need to stand out from the crowd. Think about it, a name like John Smith or Jane Doe isn’t going to stick in your mind. But with a name like Brad Pitt or Jlo,you’re bound to go places.
Other celebrity names are just too long or aren’t catchy enough, so they get shortened down and swapped around until they’re ready for show business.
Here are 20 of your favourite celebrities, with the names they were born with!
20. Cardi B
Name: Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar
Cardi B’s real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar. The American rapper was initially dubbed Barcardi because she has a sister called Hennessy. She rearranged her lifelong nickname, and voila, she became the larger than life personality Cardi B
19. Elle Macpherson
Name: Elenor Nancy Gow
She’s an Australian businesswoman, actress, television host and supermodel – and we love her to pieces! But did you know that her real name is Elenor Nancy Gow?
18. Jacinda Barrett
Name: Giacinta Juanita Cordelia Arabella Luciana Rosalina Barrett
Jacinda Barrett has appeared in Suits, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, and Bloodline just to name a few but if these productions had to use her real name, Giacinta Juanita Cordelia Arabella Luciana Rosalina Barrett, they’d probably run out of room in the credits!
17. Vance Joy
Name: James Gabriel Keough
Past winner of Triple J’s Hottest 100 and an all-round Aussie talent, Vance Joy’s real name is James Gabriel Keough. Nothing wrong with James, but Vance definitely stands out from the crowd.
16. Stormzy
Name: Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr
Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr is a name that is clearly steeped in heritage, but we think we’d have trouble fitting in on an album cover. Stormzy goes by a multitude of different names, including Big Mike, The Problem, Stiff Chocolate and Wicked Skengman. “I think God puts names in my head, like, ‘Wicked Skengman’, ‘Stiff-chocolate’, I dunno where they came from,” the rapper has said, “People are like: “What are they?” I’m like: “Bruv, I dunno. I’m as confused as you.” Thanks for clearing that up for us Stormzy!
15. Macklemore
Name: Ben Haggerty
Turns out Macklemore is the name of a superhero! In high school Ben Haggerty was asked to create a superhero as part of an assignment, and he came up with a character called Professor Macklemore. Ben would later drop the Professor and become Macklemore himself, bringing us hits like Thrift Shop as his music career took off.
14. Iggy Azalea
Name: Amethyst Amelia Kelly
Born Amethyst Amelia Kelly, this Australian singer’s stage name is a tribute to a beloved childhood pet. “I had a dog called Iggy, who I loved very, very much” she told Vevo. “One time he got bitten by a snake and he couldn’t move his legs, [and later died]. I got a name-plate necklace made in his honour. Everybody started to think that my name was Iggy so it kind of became my nickname and I took it on board and started rapping with it.” Rest in Peace, four-legged Iggy.
13. Gigi Hadid
Name: Jelena Hadid
The supermodel’s real name is Jelena Hadid, but we know her as Gigi thanks to a former primary school classmate. “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 mum, ‘If I needed to call Jelena a nickname, what would it be?’ And my mum was like, ‘I call her Gigi sometimes,’ and the name stuck.”
12. Shania Twain
Name: Eileen Regina Edwards
Man, I feel like I should change my name! Eileen Regina Edwards was Shania’s real name, before she moved to Nashville to pursue her dream of being a country singer. Her stepfather’s surname is Twain, and many reports suggest that she chose Shania because it means ‘on my way’ in Objiwa, an indigenous language. Her biographer has denied this, but Shania still impresses us (much!)
11. Dame Helen Mirren
Name: Ilyena Lydia Vasilievna Mironov
Dame Helen Mirren was born Ilyena Lydia Vasilievna Mironov in 1945 to an English mother and Russian father. She anglicised her name when she began her acting career in her early 20s.
10. Pink
Name: Alecia Beth Moore
There are a few reasons why Alecia Beth Moore chose to become Pink, a woman who rocks harder than anyone we’ve ever known. One of the reasons she is known as Pink is because she is a fan of the Tarantino film Reservoir Dogs and its character Mr. Pink.
9. Dido
Name: Florian Cloud de Bounevialle Armstrong.
Come on Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong, that’s just plain cruel! The talented vocalist was nicknamed Dido by her parents since she was young because Florian Cloud was a bit of a mouthful and the singer considers this to be her real name, not just her stage name. She copped a lot of flack for her unusual birth name at school, partly because Florian is traditionally a male name, so she would pretend to have an ordinary name instead.
Imagine if Eminem’s hit Stan had been Stan ft. Florian Cloud de Bounevialle Armstrong. Speaking of Eminem…
8. Eminem
Name: Marshall Bruce Mathers III
The controversial rapper’s real name Marshall Bruce Mathers III. It’s been suggested that Eminem stands for ‘Every Mother Is Nice Except Mine’ (yikes!) but the more likely reason behind this stage name is that it expresses his initials, M-and-M.
7. Portia De Rossi
Name: Amanda Rogers
Our homegrown actress and model Portia De Rossi started her life as Amanda Rogers. Wanting a name that would set her apart as she pursued a career in acting, she chose ‘Portia’ from the William Shakespeares play The Merchant of Venice as her new first name and gave herself an Italian surname to match. Since her marriage to Ellen DeGeneres, her full name has become Portia Lee James DeGeneres.
6. Lorde
Name: Ella Yelich-O’Connor
The female Kiwi singer/songwriter told Rolling Stone that her real name was “a bit boring” and she couldn’t imagine anyone introducing her at a festival by it, so she decided to jazz it up. She also told Interview that she had always been interested in royals and members of the aristocracy, so she dubbed herself Lorde, added the ‘e’ for a touch of femininity.
5. Vin Diesel
Name: Mark Sinclair Vincent
One of the most instantly recognisable actors’ names in the business is Vin Diesel. But did you know that his real name is Mark Sinclair Vincent? Mark started going by the name Vin Diesel when he worked at a New York nightclub as a bouncer. Hey, even security need protecting too.
4. Lana Del Rey
Name: Elizabeth Woolridge Grant
This dreamy songbird’s real name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant. Sounds more like a Jane Austen character than pop singer’s name, don’t you think? She originally launched her singing career under the name Lizzy Grant, but fame and fortune alluded her. However, when she burst onto the scene as Lana Del Rey in 2012, the music world was ready to listen.
3. Elton John
Name: Reginald Kenneth Dwight
He’s the legendary singer/songwriter behind hits such as Rocket Man and Candle in the Wind, but he hasn’t always been Sir Elton. Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, the piano man started performing under the stage name Elton John in thee 1970s, as a tribute to Elton Dean and Long John Baldry who were members of his first band Bluesology. In 1972, he legally changed his name to Elton Hercules John. What a powerful middle name!
2. Whoopi Goldberg
Name: Caryn Elaine Johnson
Born Caryn Elaine Johnson, the reason behind Whoopi’s name is as funny as she is! “The theatres I was performing in were very small so if you were gassy you had to walk away farting” explained the comedian to a giggling audience on the Graham Norton Show. “People would say I was like a Whoopee cushion. I was sometimes quite noisy, never offensive.” We believe you Whoopi!
1. Snoop Dogg
Name: Cordozar Calvin Broadus
Before he was the D-O-double G, Snoop was Cordozar Calvin Broadus. His mother nicknamed him ‘Snoopy’ because he loved The Peanuts and the cartoon show Charlie Brown, and his rap name evolved from there. “In black culture, certain kids are given nicknames that they roll with forever; the nicknames outweigh their real names. I’m one of those scenarios” the rapper has said. Snoop briefly changed his stage name to Snoop Lion in 2012 after a trip to Jamaica lead him to convert to Rastafarianism. But in 2015, he returned to the music scene as the Snoop Dogg we all know and love – thank goodness for that!
So before you declare yourself a star’s biggest fan, take the time to find out their real name. Your fave celeb may surprise you!
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