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34 Surprising Origins of Famous Stage Names

By:: Cracked Writers; Brian C. Miller

July 16, 2023

34 Surprising Origins of Famous Stage Names

Most people don’t pick their own names because they were given a name by their parents. The reason why parents choose names for their children is that they want their children to have a good start in life. A name is the first thing that people will know about you, and it can shape how people perceive you. If you have a unique or difficult-to-pronounce name, it may be difficult for people to remember or take you seriously. On the other hand, if you have a common or boring name, people may not give you the attention you deserve.

This is especially true for those looking for a career in entertainment. If your name isn’t memorable in the slightest or too memorable in the wrong way, it can be a serious impediment to your career — especially in the Old Hollywood days. These are the stories behind the names that were used to cover up all that blandness or eccentricity.

34

Peter Hernandez's father called him Bruno because he thought his chunky son resembled pro wrestler Bruno Sammartino. As he began his path to stardom, Bruno added Mars because, he joked, the girls would think he was out of this world. CRACKED.COM — Source: How Celebs Arrived At Stage Names (They're Stuck With)

33

Halsey shares her stage name with the street in Brooklyn where she decided to become a musician. rt IO X It's also an anagram of her first name, Ashley. CRACKED.COM — Source: How Celebs Arrived At Stage Names (They're Stuck With)

32

Michael Caine was originally known as Michael Scott but there was already a Michael Scott in the actors' union he was joining. Не was given half an hour to pick a new name so he went outside to think. Не saw a cinema advertising The Caine Mutiny starring Humphrey Bogart (his hero). That's where he got Caine from. CRACKED.COM — Source: How Celebs Arrived At Stage Names (They're Stuck With)

31

Slash got his nickname from actor Seymour Cassel when he was a kid. N Не was always running around in a hurry, so Cassel labeled him Slash, and the name stuck. Slash says that his grandma was the last person to refer to him by his given name, Saul Hudson. CRACKED.COM — Source: How Celebs Arrived At Stage Names (They're Stuck With)

30

Ralph Lauren changed his last name, Lifshitz, because he was constantly made fun of when he was a kid. CRACKED.COM — Source: How Celebs Arrived At Stage Names (They're Stuck With)

29

Faheem Najm's stage name T-PAIN is short for Tallahassee Pain, in reference to the hardships of growing up in Tallahassee, Florida. GRACKED.COM — Source: How Celebs Arrived At Stage Names (They're Stuck With)

28

CRACKED.COM Terry Bollea appeared on a radio show alongside Lou Ferrigno. The presenter noted that the 6'7, 300-pound up-and-coming wrestler was bigger than the guy playing The Incredible Hulk on TV. Bollea added 'Hulk' to his ring name. Не added 'Hogan' when he joined the WWF (currently WWE) because Vince McMahon wanted him to play an Irish persona. — Source: How Celebs Arrived At Stage Names (They're Stuck With)

27

Kit Harington goes by his childhood nickname, Kit. His parents didn't tell him his name is really Christopher, not Kit, until he was 11. — Source: How Celebs Arrived At Stage Names (They're Stuck With)

26

Ne-Yo's stage name comes from The Matrix. A good friend of the singer told him he was like Neo, but for music, because of his ability to churn out songs at a high speed. CRACKED.COM — Source: How Celebs Arrived At Stage Names (They're Stuck With)

25

Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Johnson changed her name, When you're performing on stage, you never really have time to go into the bathroom and close the door. So if you get a little gassy, you've got to let it go. So people used to say to me, You are like a whoopee cushion. And that's where the name came from. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Celebrities Who Changed Their Name (And Why)

24

Julianne Moore To join Actor's Equality, Julie Anne Smith needed a name that was less popular. My father's middle name is Moore; my mother's name is Anne. So I just slammed the Anne onto the Julie...But it's horrible to change your name. I'd been Julie Smith my whole life, and I didn't want to change it. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Celebrities Who Changed Their Name (And Why)

23

Shania Twain Eilleen Edwards wasn't impressed much by her real name. When she was adopted, she took the her dad's name Twain. When the record label told her she needed a name change, she changed her first name instead, to continue to honor her father. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Celebrities Who Changed Their Name (And Why)

22

Kat Dennings The actor whose real name is Katherine Litwack said, I didn't want to use my family name because I thought, A, it was a little hideous, and B, I wanted to know when someone really knew me or they didn't. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Celebrities Who Changed Their Name (And Why)

21

Dr Dre André Romelle Young changed his stage name to basketball player Julius Erving's nickname: Dr J, then went to Dr Dre to include his own name. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Celebrities Who Changed Their Name (And Why)

20

Katy Perry Katheryn Hudson changed her name SO she wouldn't be confused with already established actor Kate Hudson. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Celebrities Who Changed Their Name (And Why)

19

Calvin Harris BR WA Adam Wiles' motives for a name change are rather questionable... he wanted a more racially ambiguous name when he first released a soul track. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Celebrities Who Changed Their Name (And Why)

18

Audrey Hepburn The legendary actress was born Edda van Heemstra Hepburn-Ruston. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Celebrities Who Changed Their Name (And Why)

17

Vin Diesel www.w Mark Sinclair was in his mid-teens working as a bouncer in New York City clubs when he needed to change his name to something tougher. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Celebrities Who Changed Their Name (And Why)

16

Cookie Monster In a song in 2007 (and again in 2017), Cookie Monster revealed his real name was Sidney Monster. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Celebrities Who Changed Their Name (And Why)

15

Lana Del Rey Before settling on the stage name, Elizabeth Woolridge Grant went by other stage names including Lizzy Grant and Sparkle Jump Rope Queen. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Celebrities Who Changed Their Name (And Why)

14

Elton John Born Reginald Dwight, it makes sense why the performer would change his name. Не chose Elton from Elton Dean, a jazz musician. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Celebrities Who Changed Their Name (And Why)

13

Olivia Wilde The actor/director was born Olivia Cockburn changed her last name because she became big Oscar Wilde fan after being in The Importance of Being Earnest. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Celebrities Who Changed Their Name (And Why)

12

Lady Gaga CRACKED.COM A producer thought her voice sounded like the Queen song Radio Ga-Ga. When he went to text her that bon mot, it was autocorrected to Lady Gaga. Cute, right? Well, that producer later sued her, claiming he deserved credit for her name and fame. — Source: 15 Wild Origin Stories Of Celebrity Stage Names

11

Ringo Starr CRACKED.COM RICHARD STARKEY was always a drum wiz, and pals used to call his solos Starr Time. As for the Ringo part? Strap in, it's a bit of a thinker: he has a gold ring. A gold ring that he likes a whole bunch. — Source: 15 Wild Origin Stories Of Celebrity Stage Names

10

Iggy Azalea CRACKED.COM When her dog was recovering from a snake bite, a young AMETHYST AMELIA KELLY got a necklace with his name on it: Iggy. She wore it so much that people she met assumed it was her name. Azalea is just the street she grew up on BOO BORING NEXT. — Source: 15 Wild Origin Stories Of Celebrity Stage Names

9

David Bowie GRACKED.COM This town ain't big enough for two Joneses... that's okay, I'll leave. - David Bowie, maybe. Originally named DAVID JONES, he changed it to Bowie (inspired by American pioneer Jim Bowie) so he wouldn't be confused with The Monkees' Davy Jones. — Source: 15 Wild Origin Stories Of Celebrity Stage Names

8

Keanu Reeves CRACKED.COM That's actually his real name! And it's Hawaiian for cool breeze! The wild part is that his agent once tried to get him to change his name, to... CHUCK SPADINA — Source: 15 Wild Origin Stories Of Celebrity Stage Names

7

Nicolas Cage CRACKED.COM A young actor named NICOLAS KIM COPPOLA kept getting razzed by his castmates on his first gig, because of his famous uncle: Francis Ford Etc. Не vowed to change his name, become a star on his own merit, and have his body locked away in a pyramid when he dies. (That's true, he owns a pyramid-shaped mausoleum!) — Source: 15 Wild Origin Stories Of Celebrity Stage Names

6

Miley Cyrus GRACKED.COM DESTINY HOPE CYRUS wanted to use a stage name when she began acting, so she went with a slight twist on her childhood moniker, Smiley. Honestly? Cute! — Source: 15 Wild Origin Stories Of Celebrity Stage Names

5

John Legend CRACKED.COM Poet J. Ivy once told him JOHN STEPHENS was a bit old-school for his legendary sound. When Chrissy Teigen was asked why she didn't take his name when they married, she said my husband didn't even take his last name? — Source: 15 Wild Origin Stories Of Celebrity Stage Names

4

Carmen Electra A CRACKED.COM When she was trying out for a musical group, a young TARA LEIGH PATRICK was told by none other than Prince that: You look like Electra. That should be your name. It's impossible to tell whether he was talking about the mythological Pleiad, the Euripides play, or some even more Prince-ian thing we've never heard of. — Source: 15 Wild Origin Stories Of Celebrity Stage Names

3

Jamie Foxx CRACKED.COM Up-and-coming comedian ERIC MARLON BISHOP thought he needed an edge, so he called himself Jamie, in the hopes that he'd be mistaken for a woman. Не claimed that female comics got earlier time slots. — Source: 15 Wild Origin Stories Of Celebrity Stage Names

2

Bono CRACKED.COM PAUL DAVID HEWSON wanted to pay homage to his hometown... 's hearing aid shop. Bonavox Shop is a sporty little hearing aid store in Dublin. — Source: 15 Wild Origin Stories Of Celebrity Stage Names

1

Woody Allen GRACKED.COM SURPRISE--Woody Allen is a creep! According to a childhood friend, young ALLEN STEWART KONIGSBERG was obsessed with a girl whose dog's name was Woody. — Source: 15 Wild Origin Stories Of Celebrity Stage Names

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