15 Celebrities You Didn’t Know Have Stage Names

What’s in a name? For a lot of celebrities, not much truth. It’s a tradition almost as old as Hollywood itself for an aspiring star to pick a new name. Sometimes their birth name is too common or already taken, and other times it just doesn’t have that ‘star quality.’

From action heroes to pop superstars, plenty of famous faces aren’t using the names on their birth certificates. We’ll look at why Reginald Dwight became a global icon, how a future model’s childhood nickname went worldwide, and which actor changed his name to escape a famous family dynasty.

Nicolas Cage

The actor was born Nicolas Kim Coppola. To avoid the long shadow of his famous uncle, director Francis Ford Coppola, he adopted a new surname inspired by a comic book character, Luke Cage.

Vin Diesel

Before he was the face of the Fast & Furious franchise, he was Mark Sinclair Vincent. The name “Vin Diesel” just sounds more like an action star, and it has served him well.

Elton John

The Rocket Man started life as Reginald Kenneth Dwight. He legally adopted his new name in 1972, creating it by combining the names of saxophonist Elton Dean and singer Long John Baldry.

Miley Cyrus

She was born Destiny Hope Cyrus, but her constant smiling as a baby earned her the nickname “Smiley,” which was later shortened to Miley. She legally changed her name in 2008.

Bruno Mars

Born Peter Gene Hernandez, his father nicknamed him “Bruno” because he resembled wrestler Bruno Sammartino. He added “Mars” later, saying girls claimed he was “out of this world” and the name had its own charm.

John Legend

This EGOT winner’s given name is John Roger Stephens. A poet he worked with early in his career dubbed him “the Legend” because of his old-school sound, and the name obviously stuck.

Jamie Foxx

You know him as Jamie Foxx, but he was born Eric Marlon Bishop. He reportedly chose the gender-neutral “Jamie” because he noticed female comedians were often called to the stage first at comedy clubs.

Gigi Hadid

The world-famous supermodel’s real name is Jelena Noura Hadid. “Gigi” was a nickname her mother gave her as a child, and it became the name the entire fashion industry would come to know.

Lana Del Rey

The singer known for her cinematic, melancholy pop was born Elizabeth Woolridge Grant. The name Lana Del Rey was chosen to evoke a kind of old Hollywood glamour that perfectly matches her musical style.

Frank Ocean

The influential artist was born Christopher Edwin Breaux. He legally changed his name to Frank Ocean in 2015, reportedly inspired by Frank Sinatra and the original 1960 film Ocean’s 11.

Katy Perry

Born Katheryn Hudson, the pop star changed her name to avoid being confused with actress Kate Hudson. She adopted her mother’s maiden name, Perry, and created her own distinct identity in the music world.

Olivia Wilde

The actress and director was born Olivia Jane Cockburn. As a teenager, she changed her surname to “Wilde” as a tribute to the legendary Irish author Oscar Wilde and his family of writers.

Whoopi Goldberg

The iconic comedian and EGOT winner was born Caryn Elaine Johnson. “Whoopi” came from her reputation for being a bit gassy, like a whoopee cushion, and “Goldberg” was a family name her mother suggested.

Natalie Portman

The Oscar-winning actress was born Neta-Lee Hershlag. To protect her family’s privacy when she began acting as a child, she took her paternal grandmother’s maiden name, “Portman,” as her professional surname.

Lady Gaga

Before the chart-topping albums and wild outfits, she was Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta from New York. Her famous stage name was inspired by the Queen song “Radio Ga Ga,” which fits her theatrical style perfectly.