Celebrities and their real names revealed

Julianne Moore - Julie Anne Smith told the New York Times that she had to change her name when she registered with Equity. "There was already a Julie Smith, a Julie Anne Smith, there was everything. My father's middle name is Moore; my mother's name is Anne. So I just slammed the Anne onto the Julie. That way, I could use both of their names and not hurt anyone's feelings. But it's horrible to change your name. I'd been Julie Smith my whole life, and I didn't want to change it."

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Lorde - The Kiwi singer's real name is Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor.

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Kit Harington - The 'Game of Thrones' actor was named Christopher Catesby Harington, and he himself didn't know until he was 11!!

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Michael Keaton - The actor known for movies such as 'Batman' (1989) and 'Beetlejuice' (1988) was born Michael John Douglas. He later adopted Keaton as a stage name.

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Gigi Hadid - The model's real name is Jelena Noura Hadid.

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Jason Sudeikis -

Jason Sudeikis might be better known as 'Ted Lasso' these days, but it turns out Jason isn't even his real first name! The actor confirmed that he was born Daniel Jason Sudeikis, but his father's name is also Daniel Joseph Sudeikis, so that made things a little confusing in the house.

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Snoop Dogg - Are you shocked that his real name isn't Snoop Dogg? The rapper was born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.

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Lana del Rey - The singer's given name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant.

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Miley Cyrus - Destiny Hope Cyrus was nicknamed "Smiley" as a child and later changed her name to Miley Ray Cyrus.

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Ashton Kutcher - His parents know him as Christopher Ashton Kutcher.

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Brad Pitt - The Hollywood A-lister is really named William Bradley Pitt.

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Thandie Newton - For over three decades, audiences knew the 'Westworld' actress as Thandie Newton, but she revealed that her real name is spelled Thandiwe Newton. It's pronounced "tan-DEE-way" and it means “beloved," she told British Vogue. Newton explained that her name was misspelled in the credits for her first film, 1991's 'Flirting,' and the spelling stuck.

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Tina Fey - Elizabeth Stamatina Fey went for a shorter version professionally.

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Lucy Hale - The 'Pretty Little Liars' actress is named Karen Lucille Hale.

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Jay-Z - Before he was Hova, he was Shawn Corey Carter.

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Mindy Kaling - The writer, actress, and comedian is actually called Vera Mindy Chokalingam.

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Reese Witherspoon - The award-winning actress is named Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon.

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Natalie Portman - The Israeli-born actress was named Neta-Lee Hershlag.

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Jamie Foxx - The actor started out as Eric Marlon Bishop.

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Bruno Mars - The singer was given the name Peter Gene Hernandez at birth.

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Jennifer Aniston -

The 'Friends' actress has Greek roots and her full name is Jennifer Joanna Aniston, but only because the family name was changed from Anastassakis.

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Nicolas Cage - Nicolas Kim Coppola didn't want to be defined by his famous family name.

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Charlie Sheen - Carlos Irwin Estévez anglicized has a real name as long as his father, Ramón Gerard Antonio Estévez, who is better known as Martin Sheen.

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Lady Gaga - The performer is named Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta.

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Calvin Harris - The Scottish DJ is really named Adam Richard Wiles.

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Joaquin Phoenix - Phoenix was born Joaquin Rafael Bottom. His parents changed the family's last name after leaving the Children of God cult. As a child, he went by the name Leaf.

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Vin Diesel - Mark Sinclair chose a more interesting stage name.

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Nicki Minaj - Onika Tanya Maraj told the Guardian that her name change wasn't really her choice. "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."

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Rihanna - Robyn Rihanna Fenty uses her middle name professionally.

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Drake - The Toronto-born rapper is named Aubrey Drake Graham.

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Whoopi Goldberg - Caryn Elaine Johnson has said that she took her stage name from a whoopee cushion.

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Helen Mirren - The acclaimed British actress was named Helen Lydia Mironoff but her father changed the family name when she was a child.

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Alicia Keys - Alicia Augello Cook reportedly said of her name change, "It's like the piano keys. And it can open so many doors."

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Cardi B - Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar took her stage name from Bacardi.

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Demi Moore - Moore was born Demi Gene Harmon before becoming Demi Gene Guynes when her mother remarried. She took her stage name from her first husband and kept it through two more marriages.

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Frank Ocean - Christopher Edwin Breaux has been performing under the name Frank Ocean since 2005.

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Olivia Wilde - Olivia Cockburn preferred to name herself after Oscar Wilde.

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David Bowie - David Robert Jones changed his name to avoid confusion with Davy Jones of The Monkees.

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Ringo Starr -

Sir Richard Starkey MBE played the drums in The Beatles.

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Meg Ryan - Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra took her grandmother's last name when she joined the Screen Actors Guild.

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Louis C.K. - Louis A. Székely chose a stage name that was easier for American audiences.

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Woody Allen - Allan Stewart Konigsberg started going by his nom de plume as a teenager.

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Audrey Hepburn - The actress' name was actually Audrey Kathleen Ruston.

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Bono -

The U2 singer was born Paul David Hewson.

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Nina Dobrev - Nikolina Konstantinova Dobreva changed her name after her family moved from Bulgaria to Canada when she was a child.

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Courtney Love - Courtney Michelle Harrison first used her stage name to conceal her identity while working as a stripper.

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Winona Ryder - Winona Laura Horowitz was named after the city she was born in, Winona, Minnesota.

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Iggy Azalea - The Australian singer's real name is Amethyst Amelia Kelly.

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Blac Chyna - Her real name is Angela Renée White.

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Freddie Mercury -

The Queen frontman was born Farrokh Bulsara.

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Jack Black - Thomas Jacob Black just wasn't as catchy.

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John Legend - The self-declared legend is actually named John Roger Stephens.

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Emma Stone - The 'The Amazing Spider-Man' actress is really Emily Jean Stone. Her natural hair color is blonde.

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Meghan Markle - The Duchess of Sussex was born Rachel Meghan Markle.

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Prince Harry - Who's Henry, you might ask? Well Rachel's husband also has a different official name. Meet Prince Henry Charles Albert David.

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Marilyn Monroe - Norma Jeane Mortenson also went by Norma Jeane Baker before she was reinvented as Marilyn Monroe.

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Katy Perry - Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson reportedly changed her name to avoid confusion with Kate Hudson.

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Elton John -

Reginald Kenneth Dwight legally changed his name to Elton Hercules John in 1972.

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Mila Kunis - Milena Markovna Kunis moved from Ukraine to the US as a child.

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Lorde - The Kiwi singer's real name is Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor.

11 / 60 Fotos

Kit Harington - The 'Game of Thrones' actor was named Christopher Catesby Harington, and he himself didn't know until he was 11!!

12 / 60 Fotos

Michael Keaton - The actor known for movies such as 'Batman' (1989) and 'Beetlejuice' (1988) was born Michael John Douglas. He later adopted Keaton as a stage name.

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Gigi Hadid - The model's real name is Jelena Noura Hadid.

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Jason Sudeikis -

Getty Images

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Snoop Dogg - Are you shocked that his real name isn't Snoop Dogg? The rapper was born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.

16 / 60 Fotos

Lana del Rey - The singer's given name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant.

17 / 60 Fotos

Miley Cyrus - Destiny Hope Cyrus was nicknamed "Smiley" as a child and later changed her name to Miley Ray Cyrus.

18 / 60 Fotos

Ashton Kutcher - His parents know him as Christopher Ashton Kutcher.

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Brad Pitt - The Hollywood A-lister is really named William Bradley Pitt.

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Tina Fey - Elizabeth Stamatina Fey went for a shorter version professionally.

22 / 60 Fotos

Lucy Hale - The 'Pretty Little Liars' actress is named Karen Lucille Hale.

23 / 60 Fotos

Jay-Z - Before he was Hova, he was Shawn Corey Carter.

24 / 60 Fotos

Mindy Kaling - The writer, actress, and comedian is actually called Vera Mindy Chokalingam.

25 / 60 Fotos

Reese Witherspoon - The award-winning actress is named Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon.

26 / 60 Fotos

Natalie Portman - The Israeli-born actress was named Neta-Lee Hershlag.

27 / 60 Fotos

Jamie Foxx - The actor started out as Eric Marlon Bishop.

28 / 60 Fotos

Bruno Mars - The singer was given the name Peter Gene Hernandez at birth.

29 / 60 Fotos

Jennifer Aniston -

The 'Friends' actress has Greek roots and her full name is Jennifer Joanna Aniston, but only because the family name was changed from Anastassakis.

Getty Images

30 / 60 Fotos

Nicolas Cage - Nicolas Kim Coppola didn't want to be defined by his famous family name.

31 / 60 Fotos

Charlie Sheen - Carlos Irwin Estévez anglicized has a real name as long as his father, Ramón Gerard Antonio Estévez, who is better known as Martin Sheen.

32 / 60 Fotos

Lady Gaga - The performer is named Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta.

33 / 60 Fotos

Calvin Harris - The Scottish DJ is really named Adam Richard Wiles.

34 / 60 Fotos

Joaquin Phoenix - Phoenix was born Joaquin Rafael Bottom. His parents changed the family's last name after leaving the Children of God cult. As a child, he went by the name Leaf.

35 / 60 Fotos

Vin Diesel - Mark Sinclair chose a more interesting stage name.

36 / 60 Fotos

37 / 60 Fotos

Rihanna - Robyn Rihanna Fenty uses her middle name professionally.

38 / 60 Fotos

Drake - The Toronto-born rapper is named Aubrey Drake Graham.

39 / 60 Fotos

Whoopi Goldberg - Caryn Elaine Johnson has said that she took her stage name from a whoopee cushion.

40 / 60 Fotos

Helen Mirren - The acclaimed British actress was named Helen Lydia Mironoff but her father changed the family name when she was a child.

41 / 60 Fotos

Alicia Keys - Alicia Augello Cook reportedly said of her name change, "It's like the piano keys. And it can open so many doors."

42 / 60 Fotos

Cardi B - Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar took her stage name from Bacardi.

43 / 60 Fotos

Demi Moore - Moore was born Demi Gene Harmon before becoming Demi Gene Guynes when her mother remarried. She took her stage name from her first husband and kept it through two more marriages.

44 / 60 Fotos

Frank Ocean - Christopher Edwin Breaux has been performing under the name Frank Ocean since 2005.

45 / 60 Fotos

Olivia Wilde - Olivia Cockburn preferred to name herself after Oscar Wilde.

46 / 60 Fotos

David Bowie - David Robert Jones changed his name to avoid confusion with Davy Jones of The Monkees.

47 / 60 Fotos

Ringo Starr -

Sir Richard Starkey MBE played the drums in The Beatles.

Getty Images

48 / 60 Fotos

Meg Ryan - Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra took her grandmother's last name when she joined the Screen Actors Guild.

49 / 60 Fotos

Louis C.K. - Louis A. Székely chose a stage name that was easier for American audiences.

50 / 60 Fotos

Woody Allen - Allan Stewart Konigsberg started going by his nom de plume as a teenager.

51 / 60 Fotos

Audrey Hepburn - The actress' name was actually Audrey Kathleen Ruston.

52 / 60 Fotos

Bono -

The U2 singer was born Paul David Hewson.

Getty Images

53 / 60 Fotos

Nina Dobrev - Nikolina Konstantinova Dobreva changed her name after her family moved from Bulgaria to Canada when she was a child.

54 / 60 Fotos

Courtney Love - Courtney Michelle Harrison first used her stage name to conceal her identity while working as a stripper.

55 / 60 Fotos

Winona Ryder - Winona Laura Horowitz was named after the city she was born in, Winona, Minnesota.

56 / 60 Fotos

Iggy Azalea - The Australian singer's real name is Amethyst Amelia Kelly.

57 / 60 Fotos

Blac Chyna - Her real name is Angela Renée White.

58 / 60 Fotos

Freddie Mercury -

The Queen frontman was born Farrokh Bulsara.

NL Beeld

59 / 60 Fotos

Celebrities and their real names revealed

Do you know the real names of these stars?

31/12/24 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Michael keaton

Given names are just that: given. And they’re typically given by people who don’t realize their child may one day want their name to roll off the tongue, Hollywood-style. That’s why stage names are so common.

Do you know the real names of your favorite stars or just their stage names? Many celebs have been hiding behind them for years. Did you know that Brad Pitt’s real name is William? Or that Jennifer Aniston is actually Joanna Aniston? Click on for some more shocking name reveals.