Some celebrities change their name in order to make it in the industry, some change it due to familial reasons, and some just don't like their name to begin with. Find out which of your favorite stars have actually been using a moniker this whole time.
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was actually born Norma Jeane Mortenson. She's had several different names throughout her life, but the story of how she chose "Marilyn" as her stage name didn't come until later. She was born with the last name Mortenson, baptized as Baker, and married into Dougherty.
Infamous Stage Name
Time magazine reported that Norma Jeane scrapped "Dougherty" because studio executives believed people would pronounce it too many different ways and needed something simpler. She suggested the last name "Monroe" from her mother's side of the family. An exec then deemed her "Marilyn" because he reminded her of 1920s Broadway star Marilyn Miller.
Alicia Keys
In order to better suit her stage presence for the music industry, Keys dropped her last name, Augello-Cook. Her initial idea was "Alicia Wild," but her mom shot it down. "Keys" is a literal musical moniker, like piano keys, her instrument of choice.
A Classical Background
Keys is a classically-trained pianist, and she began composing songs at the age of 12. By 15, she was signed to Columbia Records, but then later left for Arista Records. Her debut album, Songs in A Minor was met with critical acclaim.
The Weeknd
No one's first name is "The." The Weeknd's real name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye. He revealed in a Reddit AMA why he chose the conceptual stage name...
Leaving Home as a Teen
The singer said he left home at 17, dropped out of school, and convinced one of his crew members to do the same. "We grabbed our mattresses from our parents threw it in our friend's shitty van and left one weekend and never came back home. It was gonna be the title of HOB [House of Balloons]. I hated my name at the time though so I tried it as a stage name. It sounded cool. I took out the "e" because there was already a Canadian band named the weekend (copyright issues)."
Meghan Markle
When she was an actress, Meghan Markle dropped her real first name "Rachel," and went only by her middle name professionally. However, her birth name doesn't really matter anymore. She's now a member of the British royal family, married to Prince Harry.
Abdicating Their Titles
In early 2020, Meghan and Harry chose to step down from their royal titles and separate from the family, something that has historically never been done before. They cite various disputes between themselves and the British press as a reason to move, and they have said they are much happier living in the United States.
Irina Shayk
Bradley Cooper's ex Irina Shayk's real name is Irina Shaykhlislamov. It was revealed in an Observer report when her legal name was found on the deed of her Manhattan apartment. She and Cooper have one child together.
SI's First Russian Cover Model
Shayk is a Russian model, and she first entered the spotlight after she was put on the cover of Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue in 2011. She and Bradley Cooper met in 2015 and had a daughter, Lea De Seine, in 2017. They split in 2019, following Cooper's boom of fame with A Star is Born.
Brad Pitt
Iconic actor Brad Pitt was actually born William Brad Pitt but uses Brad in his career. The newly-single actor actually introduces himself by his birth name when he's out meeting women. However, it probably won't be too hard to guess that the guy behind the name is the Hollywood actor.
A High-Profile Marriage and Divorce
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie met on the set of their hit movie, Mr. and Mrs. Smith in the early 2000s. They started dating after his divorce from Jennifer Aniston and were together until legally separating in 2019. They have 6 children together.
Gigi Hadid
The renowned supermodel Gigi Hadid was born Jelena Noura Hadid. Her close family called her Gigi from a young age. "My mom was called that as a kid by her mother when she was younger, but only around the house," Gigi said in a 2015 interview. "I was called that around the house when I was really young, kind of like how my mom was called it."
Expecting a Baby
Hadid and her on-again, off-again boyfriend, former One Direction member, Zayn Malik, announced that they're expecting a baby in 2020. After much fan speculation, it was first confirmed that the couple was back together, and then again confirmed that she was pregnant. The two shared the news and appear to be happier than ever.
Lady Gaga
The triple-threat celebrity, Lady Gaga, was born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. After she became a popstar, she revealed that her moniker was inspired by the 1984 Queen song, "Radio GaGa." She also uses her stage name for her acting roles, such as American Horror Story and A Star is Born.
A Star is Born
Though she'd been featured in other projects, Gaga's defining breakout role in Hollywood was surely A Star is Born alongside Bradley Cooper. Cooper approached Gaga after she'd performed at a fundraiser and asked if she'd work on the project with him. Gaga walked away from the film with a National Board of Review and Critics' Choice Award, and nominations for the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Screen Actor's Guild Award, and BAFTA Award for Best Actress.
Rihanna
Popstar and makeup mogul Rihanna was born Robyn Rihanna Fenty. She's always gone by her middle name professionally and even named her successful cosmetics line after her last name. However, her friends and family still call her Robyn. “I get kind of numb to hearing Rihanna, Rihanna, Rihanna,” she said. “When I hear Robyn, I pay attention.”
Fashion Icon
Rihanna launched Fenty Beauty in 2017 under LVMH's Kendo Brands. They signed a $10 million contract. The first installment of Fenty products included foundations, highlighters, bronzers, and other various skin products. Time magazine called Fenty one of "The 25 Best Inventions of 2017," due to its range of skin tones and inclusive products and marketing.
Miley Cyrus
The former Disney star's birth name is really Destiny Hope Cyrus. Her stage name comes from a childhood nickname because she was always smiling around the house. Her family called her "Smiley," which eventually turned into "Miley." However, she legally changed her name in 2008.
Cardi B
Though she goes by Cardi B professionally, the "Bodak Yellow" singer was born Belcalis Almanzar. "B" is short for Bacardi, like the brand of rum. Her sister's name is Hennessy, "so everyone used to call me Bacardi, and I started calling myself Bacardi, which eventually was shorted to Cardi B," she told Jimmy Fallon.
Reese Witherspoon
The "Legally Blonde" actress uses one of her two middle names professionally. She was born Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon. She adopted her mother's maiden name as her first name and goes by that in all of her films.
Emma Stone
The "La La Land" actress had to rebrand herself at 16 years old. She was born Emily Jean Stone, and there was already an Emily Stone in Hollywood. "I changed it to Emma because you know it's closer to Emily, but most people call me 'M,' that know me well," she explained.
Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman's given name comes from her Israeli culture. She was born with a traditional Hebrew name, Neta-Lee Hershlag. When her family emigrated to the U.S. in 1984, they changed their surname to Portman, her grandmother's maiden name.
Kit Harington
The "Game of Thrones" heartthrob Kit Harington revealed that his parents didn't tell him that his real name wasn't Kit until he was 11 years old. "I think they could see that I wanted to be Kit, but Christopher was a bit of a tradition," Harington explained. "My brother's name is Jack, but his real name is John. Kit is traditionally an offshoot of Christopher, it's just not used that often. My middle name is Catesby."
Lana Del Rey
The "Norman F***ing Rockwell" singer didn't develop her alter ego, Lana Del Rey, untll she was 25 and breaking into the music industry. She was born Elizabeth Woolridge Grant. She changed her name to fit the aesthetic of her music and help her stand out among other singers.
Olivia Wilde
Born Olivia Cockburn, Wilde's stage name is an ode to writer Oscar Wilde. She changed her last name after playing Gwendolen in her high school's version of Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest." It stuck with her ever since.
Drake
The rapper used to star on "Degrassi: The Next Generation," where he was credited as Aubrey Drake Graham. In 2006, when his music career started to pick up, he dropped his first name and went by Drake only. Looks like the using one name has been successful for him.
Portia de Rossi
Former model and actress Portia de Rossi was born Amanda Lee Rogers. She credits completely changing her name to the fact that she was uncomfortable with her identity for so long. Portia comes from Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice."
Ashton Kutcher
In 2013, "Christopher" Ashton Kutcher revealed his actual real name at the Teen Choice Awards. After winning the Ultimate Choice Award, he joked that it's actually "the old guy" award and that he "feels like a fraud." He's gone by his middle name since he was 19 when he was trying to break into Hollywood.
Erykah Badu
The powerhouse R&B singer Erykah Badu was born Erica Abi Wright and decided to change the spelling of her first name when she was young. She believed the spelling of "Erica" was a "slave name." She revealed, "Kah" signified the inner self, and "Badu" is both her favorite jazz scat and a classic African name.
Halsey
Pop singer Halsey has never gone by her real name, Ashley Frangipane, professionally. Halsey is an anagram of her first name and was inspired by a street in Brooklyn. A friend of hers lived on Halsey Street, where she'd spend several weekends away from her Jersey hometown.
Spike Lee
Director Spike Lee was born Shelton Lee, a much less impressive-sounding name. His mother nicknamed him Spike when he was a child because, as he says, he was a "tough baby." It carried over into Hollywood well.
Courtney Love
Kurt Cobain's ex-wife was born Courtney Michelle Harrison, though her stage name is one of the most famous ever. However, in 2010 she renounced "Love" and went back to Harrison. "We love her when she goes on stage, but I don't need her in the rest of my life," she said.
Whoopi Goldberg
The iconic comedian Whoopi Goldberg was born Caryn Johnson. While guesting on "The Graham Norton Show," she revealed that her stage name derives from a whoopee cushion. "No one christened me that. I am Karen, but I was a bit of a farter," she joked. "The theatres I was performing in were very small so if you were gassy you had to walk away farting and people would say I was like a Whoopee cushion. I was sometimes quite noisy, never offensive."
Joaquin Phoenix
The history of the Phoenix family is a pretty confusing one. Joaquin was born Joaquín Rafael Bottom before his parents left their religious family with the name "Bottom" and chose "Phoenix" instead. He has also gone by the name "Leaf" Phoenix.
Demi Moore
Actress Demi Moore married singer Freddy Moore when she was 17 and has used his last name ever since. Though they were only together four and a half years, the name suits her better than her given name, Deme Gene Guynes.
Bruno Mars
Mars was born Peter Gene Hernandez, though the "Grenade" singer has been Bruno his entire life. He was given the nickname as a toddler when his parents said he looked like wrestler Bruno Sammartino. However, he also thought his given last name would force him into the niche of Latin music, and that wasn't the angle he wanted to pursue.
Nicki Minaj
Rapper Nicki Minaj didn't even choose her stage name. Born Onika Tanya Maraj, she said "One of the first production deals I signed, the guy wanted my name to be Minaj and I fought him tooth and nail. But he convinced me. I’ve always hated it.”
Calvin Harris
Born Adam Richard Wiles, former girlfriend Taylor Swift confused fans when she gave her bf a shoutout at the iHeart Radio Music Awards, calling him "Adam" while onstage. Harris adopted the stage name so he could appear more "racially ambiguous." "My first single was more of a soul track, and I thought Calvin Harris sounded a bit more racially ambiguous. I thought people might not know if I was black or not. After that, I was stuck with it."
Frank Ocean
Frank Ocean thought his given name wasn't cool enough for the music industry. In 2011 he revealed he went online and changed his name legally from Christopher Edwin Breaux to Frank Ocean. None of us are our names," he said. "If you don’t like your name then change your name. I’m only a few steps into the process, so I probably shouldn’t even be talking about this, but by the beginning of summer, I’ll be straight. I’ll be boarding planes as Christopher Francis Ocean."
Helen Mirren
The British actress was born with the name Ilyena Lydia Mironoff, but her father changed their surname to Mirren in the 1950s. She then simplified her first name when she took up acting. Thankfully, her career was such a knockout success, regardless of what her name was.
Jamie Foxx
The "Ray" actor needed a name that would make him stand out. Born Eric Marlon Bishop, he said he changed his name when he first started doing standup comedy. He was hoping a more unisex stage name would guarantee him a time slot on stage. "I noticed that like 1,000 guys showed up and only three girls, but the three girls would always get a spot," Foxx explained.
Julianne Moore
Julianne Moore's story is similar to Emma Stone's. Julie Anne Smith was told to change her name because there was already both a Julie Smith and a Julie Anne Smith in Hollywood. The Screen Actor's Guild told her to try again, and she chose Moore because of her dad's middle name, and Anne for her mother's first name.
Trace Cyrus
The MetroStation singer and brother of Miley Cyrus, Trace, was born Neil Timothy Helson. He was adopted by Billy Ray Cyrus and took his last name, and dropped the name Neil for an edgier sounding moniker that suited his punk band's aesthetic.
John Legend
The "All Of Me" singer was born John Roger Stephens, but "Legend" is cited as a nickname that friends started calling him. "Legend' is something that I never would have chosen for myself originally. It grew to the point where more people in my circle would know me by that name than by my real name," he said.
Katy Perry
Katy Perry claims her stage name came from an adolescent crisis. I created this wonderful character called Katy Perry that I very much am, and can step into all the time, but I created that character out of protection,” the singer said. She was born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, a name that she never liked.
Lorde
Lorde's pseudonym is certainly the shorter version of her real name: Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor. "I basically chose Lorde because I wanted a name that was really strong and had this grandeur to it. I didn't feel that my birth name was anything special. I always liked the idea of having, like, a one-named alias," she's explained.
Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore has gone by her alliterative stage name for years. Born Amanda Leigh Moore, she says it never really felt right. "It was just synonymous with my parents being mad at me," she said of her given name.
Mindy Kaling
Mindy Kaling, best known for her time on "The Office," wasn't born Mindy at all. Her given name is Hindu, Vera Mindy Chokalingam. Her parents are originally from India, and Vera is "the incarnation of a Hindu goddess," she said. But her parents always called her Mindy growing up.
Tina Fey
Tina Fey was born Elizabeth Stamatina Fey, and comes from a Greek background. Tina is just the shortened version of her middle name, so she didn't fully reinvent her acting persona. Her "30 Rock" character, Liz Lemon, is a nod to her birth name.
G-Eazy
The rapper explained his stage name back in 2012. It came about 10 years ago now. Times were different then," he said. "The name probably sounded cool to me when I was 13, [like G-Unit]. The climate has definitely changed since: the fashion trends, the style of music I listen to." His birth name Gerald Earl Gillum doesn't really have the same flow.
P!nk
Rockstar P!nk obviously wasn't born with this name. Her real name is Alecia Beth Moore, but her moniker comes from Steve Buscemi's character, Mr. Pink, from "Reservoir Dogs." I actually ran into Steve Buscemi on the street in New York before my first album came out. I had these big f---ing Elton John glasses on, pink hair and carried a Pink Panther toy. I went 'Steve! Mr Pink! I'm Pink! Because of you! I'm going to have an album and you're going to know who I am!' And he was like 'What the f--k, lady?' and just ran away from me. I've never met him since," she said.
Yungblud
The British rapper wasn't born with this name, either. His birth name is Dominic Richard Harrison but goes by Yungblud or YUNGBLUD professionally. He is a singer, songwriter, and actor, and was previously in a relationship with another fake-named singer, Halsey.
Machine Gun Kelly
Born Richard Colson Baker, Machine Gun Kelly (or MGK), got his start in the music industry after being inspired by Eminem and Ludacris. Fans gave him the stage name due to his rapid-fire lyric delivery.
Eminem
Eminem's real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III. When he was 14, he began rapping with a high school friend named Mike Ruby. The duo adopted monikers, Manix and M&M, which just stood for Marshall's initials.
Logic
Like most rappers, Logic's real name isn't Logic. It's actually Sir Robert Bryson Hall II. He was named after his father, but his mother added "Sir" to his first name. It has no meaning and is not a title like most people think.
J. Cole
Born Jermaine Lamarr Cole, J. Cole's stage name isn't too far out of left field. However, before he was J. Cole, he was "Blaza" and then "Therapist." He switched it before the release of his album "The Come Up."
Travis Scott
Travis Scott, the father of Kylie Jenner's baby, was born Jacques Berman Webster II. His stage name has ties to his family. "My uncle's name is Travis,” Scott said." ... Always made good decisions, good business decisions."
Kid Cudi
Rapper Kid Cudi's real name is Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi. Sometimes it's stylized as KiD CuDi. His rap name is just a pull from the last few letters of his surname.