Name is one of the most meaningful terms in the world. Parents put a lot of hopes, wills, expectations, or luck into their children’s names. Every language worldwide has these elements in common when parents give their child a name. It plays a key role in identifying and connecting people. For example, when someone remembers your name after first meeting you, she or he had already linked you with the name and also respected you a lot. Certainly, it makes a positive and long-lasting impression on you. And will you love them? Indeed, you will.
For famous people, their names have a bit more meaningful. Because these names actually engage a celebrity’s career. Like, when someone mentions Blake Lively, we know this is an American actress who stepped into the spotlight during her junior year of high school when she landed a major role in the 2005 blockbuster "chick flick" The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Furthermore, some artists, such as singers and rappers, usually have their stage names to make them unique in the public eyes.
It’s no doubt that celebrity names are popular worldwide because of their fame. But there are some real names that even the most loyal fans don’t know. Let’s take a look at 20 celebrities whose famous names aren’t what you think.
"[Eilish] is my middle name," she said. "So I'm Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell. Pretty weird, right? Pirate was going to be my middle name, but then my uncle had a problem with it because pirates are bad. Then Baird is my mother's name." O’Connell is her father’s last name. According to Insider, the Pirate part of her name comes from her brother, who was just four years old when Billie was born.
Born as Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon, the Legal Blonde icon uses her mother's maiden name (Reese) as her occupation name and her father's last name (Witherspoon) as her last name.
Why Wilde? As she told The New York Observer in 2007, Olivia decided to opt for a pen name when she moved from behind the camera to in front — and “Wilde” is an ode to the writer Oscar Wilde. “At the time, I was doing The Importance of Being Earnest,” Wilde told The New York Observer. “I was so in love with it. Oscar Wilde is someone who I respect for so many reasons — a revolutionary, a comedian, and a profound thinker.”
“When I was 16, it was just Aquafina — like my rap name was just Aquafina,” the actress told Galore, explaining that she eventually changed her stage name to Awkwafina after a video producer suggested it. Use a different spelling to avoid getting sued.
She explained to Newsweek about her name’s origins. “It's a funny story. I got so desperate I went through the dictionary for something that catches my eye.” After briefly deliberating on “Wild,” the singer decided on “Keys,” saying, “… I like Keys.
The singer explained the origin of her nickname in 2013. "My name is Ella, I'm the one at school, hanging out with friends," she told Interview Magazine. "But when I'm up on stage, Lorde is a character. My friends find that difficult to digest, separating me from the theatrical character they see on stage; but they're getting used to it."
How did the singer deal with Lorde? "When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought ‘Lord' was super rad, but masculine,” she explained. “Ever since I was a little kid, I have been really into royals and aristocracy," she said, adding that "...to make Lord more feminine, I just put an ‘e' on the end! Some people think it's religious, but it's not."
Kaling never actually went by her first name, Vera. Since her birth, people have called her by her middle name, which was inspired by the 1970s American sitcom, Mork & Mindy. Her professional surname, "Kaling", is a shortened version of Chokalingam.
The origin of Larson's stage name is quite interesting: as Today reported, the actress chose the stage name when she was 9 years old because people often mispronounce "Desaulniers". The name was inspired by an American Girl doll named Kirsten Larson, so that "Kirsten could be in our family."
Halsey told Cosmopolitan US: "I think I had the foresight to know that just being me wasn't enough. I had to become a completely different person." At the time, I felt Ashley didn't deserve to be famous and successful because she wasn't that special, but if I did Halsey, maybe she could be."
As Halsey put it, changing their name “allows me to create a new character that is not bound by the expectations I have for myself or the limits others place on me because of my upbringing.” me or my socioeconomic status.”
"I created a person, and she could do everything. There's no such thing as Ashley becoming king, but I've given myself a new name and taken her to mystical, supernatural heights. "
“A lot of celebrities are born with a different name than they end up with as a stage name, and I’m one of those people,” Twain said. “It’s a long story. 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.”
Why Shania? “I think, in my mind, I was just not wanting to be called my grandmother’s name onstage, so I decided to change it to Shania Twain,” she told. “I met somebody with the name Shania, thought it was beautiful, and Shania Twain was born.”
For famous people, their names have a bit more meaningful. Because these names actually engage a celebrity’s career. Like, when someone mentions Blake Lively, we know this is an American actress who stepped into the spotlight during her junior year of high school when she landed a major role in the 2005 blockbuster "chick flick" The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Furthermore, some artists, such as singers and rappers, usually have their stage names to make them unique in the public eyes.
It’s no doubt that celebrity names are popular worldwide because of their fame. But there are some real names that even the most loyal fans don’t know. Let’s take a look at 20 celebrities whose famous names aren’t what you think.
#1 Billie Eilish’s full name is Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell
Source: GETTY IMAGES
"[Eilish] is my middle name," she said. "So I'm Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell. Pretty weird, right? Pirate was going to be my middle name, but then my uncle had a problem with it because pirates are bad. Then Baird is my mother's name." O’Connell is her father’s last name. According to Insider, the Pirate part of her name comes from her brother, who was just four years old when Billie was born.
#2 Rihanna’s full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty
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#3 Reese Witherspoon’s name was Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon
Source: GETTY IMAGES
Born as Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon, the Legal Blonde icon uses her mother's maiden name (Reese) as her occupation name and her father's last name (Witherspoon) as her last name.
#4 Dove Cameron was born Chloe Celeste Hoffman
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#5 Miley Cyrus used to be named Destiny Hope Cyrus
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#6 Natalie Portman’s birth name was Natalie Herschlag
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#7 Olivia Wilde changed her last name from Cockburn as an ode to Oscar Wilde
Source: GETTY IMAGES
Why Wilde? As she told The New York Observer in 2007, Olivia decided to opt for a pen name when she moved from behind the camera to in front — and “Wilde” is an ode to the writer Oscar Wilde. “At the time, I was doing The Importance of Being Earnest,” Wilde told The New York Observer. “I was so in love with it. Oscar Wilde is someone who I respect for so many reasons — a revolutionary, a comedian, and a profound thinker.”
#8 Emma Stone’s name is actually Emily
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#9 Lady Gaga’s name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta
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#10 Katy Perry’s name is Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson
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#11 Awkwafina’s name is actually Nora Lum
Source: GETTY IMAGES
“When I was 16, it was just Aquafina — like my rap name was just Aquafina,” the actress told Galore, explaining that she eventually changed her stage name to Awkwafina after a video producer suggested it. Use a different spelling to avoid getting sued.
#12 Blake Lively’s birth name was Blake Ellender Brown
Source: GETTY IMAGES
#13 Alicia Keys was born as Alicia Augello Cook
Source: GETTY IMAGES
She explained to Newsweek about her name’s origins. “It's a funny story. I got so desperate I went through the dictionary for something that catches my eye.” After briefly deliberating on “Wild,” the singer decided on “Keys,” saying, “… I like Keys.
#14 Lorde is named Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor
Source: GETTY IMAGES
The singer explained the origin of her nickname in 2013. "My name is Ella, I'm the one at school, hanging out with friends," she told Interview Magazine. "But when I'm up on stage, Lorde is a character. My friends find that difficult to digest, separating me from the theatrical character they see on stage; but they're getting used to it."
How did the singer deal with Lorde? "When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought ‘Lord' was super rad, but masculine,” she explained. “Ever since I was a little kid, I have been really into royals and aristocracy," she said, adding that "...to make Lord more feminine, I just put an ‘e' on the end! Some people think it's religious, but it's not."
#15 Mindy Kaling was born Vera Mindy Chokalingam
Source: GETTY IMAGES
Kaling never actually went by her first name, Vera. Since her birth, people have called her by her middle name, which was inspired by the 1970s American sitcom, Mork & Mindy. Her professional surname, "Kaling", is a shortened version of Chokalingam.
#16 Brie Larson used to be called Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers
Source: GETTY IMAGES
The origin of Larson's stage name is quite interesting: as Today reported, the actress chose the stage name when she was 9 years old because people often mispronounce "Desaulniers". The name was inspired by an American Girl doll named Kirsten Larson, so that "Kirsten could be in our family."
#17 Halsey’s name was Ashley Nicolette Frangipane
Source: GETTY IMAGES
Halsey told Cosmopolitan US: "I think I had the foresight to know that just being me wasn't enough. I had to become a completely different person." At the time, I felt Ashley didn't deserve to be famous and successful because she wasn't that special, but if I did Halsey, maybe she could be."
As Halsey put it, changing their name “allows me to create a new character that is not bound by the expectations I have for myself or the limits others place on me because of my upbringing.” me or my socioeconomic status.”
"I created a person, and she could do everything. There's no such thing as Ashley becoming king, but I've given myself a new name and taken her to mystical, supernatural heights. "
#18 Shania Twain was born Eilleen Regina Edwards
Source: GETTY IMAGES
“A lot of celebrities are born with a different name than they end up with as a stage name, and I’m one of those people,” Twain said. “It’s a long story. 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.”
Why Shania? “I think, in my mind, I was just not wanting to be called my grandmother’s name onstage, so I decided to change it to Shania Twain,” she told. “I met somebody with the name Shania, thought it was beautiful, and Shania Twain was born.”
#19 Lana Del Rey’s name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant
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#20 Nina Dobrev’s name is Nikolina Kamenova Dobreva
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