Find Out These Celebrities’ Real Names!
What’s in a name? A lot, according to these stars.
After all, a unique moniker sticks in the mind better than a catchy jingle. Take Miley Cyrus, who was born Destiny Hope Cyrus but adopted a stage name based on her childhood nickname “Smiley” when she started acting in Hannah Montana. Fast forward to 2008, the singer legally changed her full name to Miley Ray Cyrus, with her new middle name serving as a nod to both her dad Billy Ray Cyrus and grandfather Ronald Ray Cyrus.
“A lot of people say Miley changed her name to Miley Ray because of Billy Ray, but that’s not true,” Billy Ray told CNN in 2009. “She did that in honor of my dad, because the two of them just loved each other to pieces.”
In other cases, celebs simply changed their names to avoid confusion. For instance, Jason Sudeikis‘ mom started calling him by his middle name instead since both he and his dad share the first name Daniel, while Emma Stone had to register in the Screen Actors Guild with a moniker different from her birthname because there was already an Emily Stone in the system.
“For a 16-year-old, picking a new name is an interesting prospect, and back then I said, ‘I’m now going to be Riley Stone!'” Emma recalled in a 2017 interview with W Magazine. “So, for about six months I was called Riley. I landed a guest spot on Malcolm in the Middle, and one day they were calling, ‘Riley! Riley! Riley! We need you on set, Riley!’ and I had no idea who they were talking to.”
Steve Granitz/FilmMagic; Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Ms. Foundation for Women; Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
The Oscar winner eventually landed on the name Emma, but lately has made a push to reclaim the moniker close pals like Taylor Swift still use, the 14-time Grammy winner crediting her pal as Emily Jean Stone on the credits for her new track “Florida!!!”
She already responds to her birth name on set, recently telling The Hollywood Reporter, “I freaked out a couple of years ago. For some reason, I was like, ‘I can’t do it anymore. Just call me Emily.'”
And now she’s hoping to spread the word. “That would be so nice,” she said of reverting back. “I would like to be Emily.”
Of course, she’s not the only celebrity with a dual persona. Allow stars like Meghan Markle to Tom Cruise to reintroduce themselves.
Steve Jennings/FilmMagic
Austin Richard Post
Congratulations to Post Malone, who incorporated his surname into his stage name. However, the rapper does prefer his close friends to call him by his real name.
During the 2024 MTV VMAs, Taylor Swift referred to him as “Austin” when they won the Best Collaboration award for their duet “Fortnight.”
(Disney/Eric McCandless)
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson
Though the singer initially released a Christian album under her birth name in 2001, she felt the stage name Katy Perry—inspired by her mom’s maiden name—might meet pop fans more in awe, awe, awe.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images for iHeartMedia
Belcalis Almanzar
Cardi B took on the name Bacardi after family and friends started calling her sister Hennessy. Later on she shortened the name to something that suited her quite a bit more.
Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
Rachel Meghan Markle
Before she became the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle was briefly known as Rachel.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Stagecoach
Eilleen Regina Edwards
Shania Twain shared the origin story of her stage name during an appearance on Apple Music’s Home Now Radio: “In short, I was born, Eilleen Regina Edwards, and then I was adopted and I became Eilleen Regina Twain. Then I became a professional singer and I needed a stage name that sounded a little less like my grandmother’s name, because I’m named after my grandmother, both my grandmothers, Eilleen and Regina. I think, in my mind, I was just not really wanting to be called my grandmother’s name onstage, so I decided to change it to Shania Twain. I met somebody with the name Shania, thought it was beautiful, and Shania Twain was born.”
Christopher Victorio/Shutterstock
Kayleigh Rose Amstutz
The “Good Luck, Babe!” singer’s onstage persona—Chappell Roan—has always been a “drag project,” allowing her to set boundaries and separate her personal life from the industry.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Jelena Noura Hadid
Oddly enough, Gigi Hadid got her stage name in school when the teacher would confuse her and a girl named Helena. Since her mom called her “gigi” as a term of endearment at home, she told the teacher to just call her Gigi and it simply stuck.
Monica Schipper/Getty Images
Mark Vincent
If you’re looking for an explosive action-star name, how about Vin Diesel instead?
Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shutterstock
Destiny Hope Cyrus
Miley Cyrus‘ bright smile is what inspired her childhood nickname, Smiley. Eventually the name was shortened to Miley and it stuck.
Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Peter Gene Hernandez
Apparently the singer looked more like a Bruno than a Peter, so one day his dad started calling him Bruno. Ever since, he has been known as Bruno Mars.
Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for Live Nation
Stefani Germanotta
Before the meat dresses and chart-topping music, Lady Gaga was just an everyday girl from New York.
Rich Fury/Getty Images
Daniel Sudeikis
Jason Sudeikis confirmed on Today that he was named Daniel after his father, but following some confusion, his mom started using his middle name Jason to avoid confusion.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
Emily Stone
Emma Stone ended adopting this stage name after finding out that the Screen Actors Guild already had a member registered under her birthname.
Jim Smeal/REX/Shutterstock
Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon
Turns out Reese isn’t even Reese Witherspoon‘s middle name. The actress chose the moniker in honor of her mother, whose maiden name is Reese.
Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
Elizabeth Woolridge Grant
Every artist has an alter ego, and Lana Del Rey just happens to be the persona of choice for the singer.
Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Christopher Edwin Breaux
In 2014, Frank Ocean legally changed his name because, why not?
Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival
Elizabeth Stamatina Fey
A little known fact about 30 Rock‘s Tina Fey is that she is actually named Elizabeth. The comedian made a not so subtle tribute to her birth name by naming her character Liz Lemon.
Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Calvin Broadus
This pioneer of West Coast rap would later go on to be known as Snoop Dogg.
Lester Cohen/Getty Images for NARAS
Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor
Turns out the “Royals” singer is really into learning about the aristocracy, hence the reason why she chose the name Lorde, but with a feminine ‘e.’
Laura Cavanaugh/Getty Images
Enrique Morales
Before he started shaking his bonbon for the masses, music superstar Ricky Martin went by this everyday name.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Amethyst Kelly
It’s hard to believe that Iggy Azalea was born Amethyst Kelly!
Matt Baron/REX/Shutterstock
Adam Richard Wiles
Fans were confused when Taylor Swift thanked then-boyfriend Adam in an acceptance speech, which lead people to the discovery that Calvin Harris is simply a stage name. The DJ told Shortlist magazine he chose the name because his first single was more soulful and wanted something a bit more “racially ambiguous.”
Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images
Jennifer Anastassakis
Before she became a household name, this was what erstwhile Friend Jennifer Aniston answered to.
Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Alicia Augello Cook
Alicia Keys didn’t always have such a musical name.
Mike Coppola/WireImage
Thomas Mapother IV
Before he became arguably the biggest movie star in the world, Tom Cruise went by this name.
Kevin Lee/Getty Images
Natalie Hershlag
Back when she was born in 1980, this was how the future bigtime actress Natalie Portman greeted the world.
Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Amanda Lee Rogers
Before she became a big-time TV star and married Ellen DeGeneres, this was the name Portia de Rossi answered to.
Jim Dyson/Redferns
Reginald Dwight
Guess music superstar Elton John didn’t think his original name would be a hit with audiences.
Jeff Vespa/WireImage
Nicole Camilla Escovedo
Check The Simple Life alum Nicole Richie‘s birth certificate and this is the name you’ll see.
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Paul Hewson
All it took was a nickname from some high school friends, and U2 frontman Bono‘s famous moniker was born.
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