9 Celebrities You Might Not Know Changed Their Real Names After Getting Famous

It seems that many celebrities were destined to make it big in Hollywood from the moment their parents signed their birth certificates. But, in fact, some of the most acclaimed household names were not born with the golden ticket to stardom. Instead, they had to pave their own ways, often adopting a stage name to open the doors to success. There are many celebrities you might not know who changed their names after getting famous.
These names inspired parents to opt for unique names for their babies. From Reese Witherspoon to Rihana, parents gave their kids these names with the hope that their children will have successful careers.
Keep scrolling down to see more celebrities whose real names were changed after they became famous. Click here, and here to see more interesting articles.

#1 Marilyn Monroe

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Many might now know that Marilyn Monroe grew up being called Norma Jeane Mortenson. A 20^th Century Fox studio executive thought that it was hard to pronounce her name so she suggested the last name “Monroe” – her mother’s side of the family while the studio exec handed her “Marilyn”.

#2 Alicia Keys

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Alicia Keys’ actual name is Alicia Augello-Cook. In an interview with Newsweek, the singer revealed that she wanted to change her last name to be better suited for the stage. She considered a musical moniker, “It's like the piano keys. And it can open so many doors”.

#3 Ye

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In 2018, Kanye West changed his name to Ye – following the release of his Ye album. He said, “I believe 'ye' is the most commonly used word in the Bible, and in the Bible, it means 'you.' So I'm you, I'm us, it's us. It went from Kanye, which means the only one, to just Ye — just being a reflection of our good, our bad, our confusion, everything. The album is more of a reflection of who we are.”

#4 Foodgod

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After appearing on “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” with his best friend Kim Kardashian, he altered his name, Jonathan Cheban, to Foodgod to align with his restaurant.

#5 Drake

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After becoming a Grammy Award-winning rapper, Aubrey Graham changed his name to Drake, using his middle name to release his first album in 2010.

#6 Billie Eilish

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Billie Eilish impressed many with her full name Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell, its second middle name picked out by her older brother and collaborator Finneas O'Connell and her parents’ last names.

#7 John Legend

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John Legend wasn’t born a “legend” but Roger Stephens before Kanye West convinced him to make the change. On The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Legend said, “Kanye put a mixtape out, and he called me John Legend on the mixtape”.

#8 Jamie Foxx

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Jamie Foxx was born Eric Marlon Bishop but changed his name early on in his career. He had trouble being asked to perform at the start of his career so he decided to choose an androgynous stage name.

#9 Nina Dobrev

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Nina’s real name is Nikolina Konstantinova Dobreva but it’s so long, so she shortened it to appeal better to Hollywood and make it more memorable.