14 Celebrities Whose Real Names May Surprise You

What does a name mean? When it comes to many of our favorite celebrities, their name is their brand, yet what we refer to them by is frequently not the name they were given at birth, didn't grow up with, or even use in daily life. Why then do famous people use various names or change their names?
Sometimes, it's about coming up with a catchier or more distinctive "stage" moniker. Sometimes it's because their legal name has already been used (though Michael B. Jordan seems to have done just fine). In other instances, the motivation could have more to do with adopting a nickname, going by the last name, or just shortening a name for a professional reason. Below are the 14 celebrities whose real names may surprise you.

1. Rihanna’s full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty

Source: Getty Images

Although the singer, designer, and entrepreneur goes by Rihanna when it comes to her music, her last name is already quite well-known owing to her Fenty fashion label and Fenty Beauty cosmetics line.
However, if you're close with the new mother, you'll nickname her Robyn. "When people call me Robyn, my brain immediately flies around because I feel like that person understands me," she said to Glamour in 2013. However, Rihanna, that is often [people's] own [invention]. I am Robyn. I am Robyn. That gives you some indication of who I am: Rihanna.

2. Miley Cyrus used to be named Destiny Hope Cyrus

Source: Getty Images

Are you destined for fame? Because Miley Cyrus' parents reportedly felt she was destined for greatness, she was given the name Destiny Hope at birth.
Cyrus reportedly stated this on The Voice, according to Life & Style. My father told me it was my destiny to provide hope to the world, thus, I was born with the name Destiny Hope, said Cyrus. But young Destiny swiftly acquired the moniker "Smiley," which later changed to "Miley." In 2008, the celebrity officially changed her name to Miley Ray Cyrus.

3. Billie Eilish’s full name is Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell

Source: Getty Images

Pirate? I agree, Pirate. Despite using her first two names professionally, Eilish explained the origins of her character and its significance in a 2017 BBC interview.
She explained, "[Eilish] is my middle name. "Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell is who I am. Pretty strange, huh? My middle name was originally supposed to be "pirate," but my uncle objected since pirates are wicked. So my mother's name is Baird." Her father's surname name is O'Connell. Insider claims that Billie's brother, who was just four years old when she was born, inspired the "Pirate" portion of her moniker.

4. Katy Perry’s name is Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson

Source: Getty Images

Because the public already identifies their true name with another famous person, celebrities occasionally select stage names. This seems to be the situation with the pop diva Katy Perry, whose actual name is Katy Hudson and who is quite close to the actress Kate Hudson.
According to The List, the singer first performed under the name Katheryn Perry (her mother's maiden name is Perry) after recording a Christian rock album under the name Katy Hudson in 2001, before deciding on Katy Perry in the early 2000s.

5. Emma Stone’s name is Emily

Source: Getty Images

Olivia Colman's use of "Emily" during her victory speech at the 2019 Oscars wasn't an error, according to Marie Claire UK; she was referring to actress Emma Stone's actual name. The Academy Award-winning actress, born Emily Jean Stone, didn't go too far from her given name while choosing a stage name. But why the small change when Emma and Emily are highly well-liked names and sound so alike? The resemblance appears to be the key consideration.

6. Alicia Keys was born as Alicia Augello Cook

Source: Getty Images

In an interview with Newsweek, Keys recounted the history of her name. It's a humorous tale. I became so desperate that I searched the dictionary for something interesting. The singer chose "Keys" after briefly contemplating "Wild," stating, "...I loved Keys. It reminds me of piano keys. And it has a lot of doors it can open.

7. Halsey’s name was Ashley Nicolette Frangipane

Source: Getty Images

Originally known as Ashley, American artist Halsey (who prefers the pronouns she/them) changed their name as a teen when they were working on their debut album, Badlands, to establish a new identity (if you rearrange the letters in Ashley, you can spell Halsey).
"I believe I had the wisdom to realize that being myself wasn't sufficient. Halsey stated to Cosmopolitan US, "I had to change entirely. "At the time, I thought Ashley didn't deserve to be popular and well-known because she wasn't that exceptional, but if I manufactured Halsey, maybe she might be," the author said.

8. Lady Gaga’s name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta

Source: Getty Images

The singer, songwriter, and actress were given the birth name Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, but we all know her as Lady Gaga when she first entered the music and pop culture world in 2008. Who is Gaga? The singer said that her stage name was inspired by the Queen song "Radio Ga Ga" and originated from her music producer, Robert Fusari, in a 2010 interview with Flybe.
According to Good Housekeeping, there appear to be a few conflicting explanations of the moniker's origins. "As we prepared to begin our actual performance, I decided I needed to reinvent myself because I had often used my true name. Since Lady has such negative connotations and Gaga is kind of weird, I said, "What about Lady Gaga," Lady Gaga said in the Flybe interview.

9. Natalie Portman’s birth name was Natalie Herschlag

Source: Getty Images

Natalie Portman, who plays the title character in Thor: Love and Thunder, was born with the surname Herschlag. According to an explanation provided in The Independent in 2006, the Academy Award-winning actress used the stage name Portman to protect her family's anonymity.

10. Lana Del Ray’s name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant

Source: Getty Images

Lana Dey Ray has garnered lots of media attention ever since the publication of her debut single, "Video Games," in 2011. However, "Lana Del Ray" is not her first (or second, or third) name. The singer, whose real name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, reportedly went by the alias Lizzy Grant and several stage titles, including Sparkle Jump Rope Queen and May Jailer.
Where did "Lana Del Ray" get its name? The singer wanted a name that "sounded kind of exotic and reminded me of like the seaside on the Florida coast," according to Vogue.

11. Blake Lively’s birth name was Blake Ellender Brown

Source: Getty Images

The actress Blake Lively was born with the last name Brown, but as she mentioned in Nicki Swift, she now uses the same last name as her parents, siblings, and mother. Blake's father, actor Ernie Lively, adopted Blake's mother, Elaine Lively's last name when he changed from Brown to Lively.

12. Nina Dobrev’s name is Nikolina Kamenova Dobreva

Source: Getty Images

Nina Dobrev, a Canadian actress, born in Bulgaria, is well-known for her lead role in The Vampire Diaries. However, Nina Dobrev wasn't always known by that name. Before starting her acting career, Dobrev reduced her first and last names.

13. Brie Larson used to be called Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers

Source: Getty Images

What about Brianne Desaulniers? Academy Award-winning actress Brie Larson is well-known for her appearances in Room and Captain Marvel.
According to a story published in Today, the actress picked a stage name at the age of nine since "Desaulniers" was frequently mispronounced. Who is Larson? Kirsten Larson, an American Girl doll, served as the model for the name, which was chosen so that "Kirsten can be in our family."

14. Dove Cameron was born Chloe Celeste Hoffman

Source: Getty Images

Her father gave her the unique name Dove Cameron as a cute nickname, but it is now her full legal name (though she responds to both Dove and Chloe).
Cameron told StyleWatch, according to PEOPLE, "He called me Dove more than he ever called me Chloe." "I officially altered it after his death when I was 15. Everything legal is Dove, and it is in my passport."