Why do famous people change their names

Mars just kind of came joking around because that sounds bigger than life. That was it, simple as that. In an interview with The New York Times , she said, "If you get a little gassy, you've got to let it go. So people used to say to me, 'You're like a whoopee cushion. She changed her last name to reflect her love of music. In an interview with Fox News , she told them, "It's like the piano keys. And it can open so many doors. The Friends star was born as Joanna Linn Anastassakis.

Real name : Amethyst Amelia Kelly Stage name origins : She had a dog named Iggy, and her last name comes from the street her family lives on. Real name : Alicia Augello Cook A piano player with the last name "Keys" is a little too good to be true. Real name : Eric Marlon Bishop Why he changed it : When he was starting out in comedy, he noticed that female comics were called first to perform during open mic nights.

Real name : Natalie Hershlag Why she changed it : She used her grandmother's maiden name to separate her public and private life when she started acting as a teenager.

Real name : Ilyena Lydia Mironoff Another really pretty foreign name changed for the general public. Nov 9, The popstar was born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson. Miley Cyrus. Nina Dobrev. The Bulgarian-born actress shortened her name from Nikolina Konstantinova Dobreva. Jamie Foxx. Credit: Alberto E. The Oscar-winner was born Eric Marlon Bishop. Brad Pitt. Credit: Tim P. Meet William Bradley Pitt! Joaquin Phoenix. Bruno Mars. Mindy Kaling. The comedian was born Vera Mindy Chokalingam.

Courtney Love. The punk icon was born Courtney Michelle Harrison. Tom Cruise. Demi Moore. Whoopi Goldberg. The Oscar-winner was born Caryn Elaine Johnson. Natalie Portman. Alicia Keys. Mila Kunis. Mila shortened her name from Milena Markovna Kunis. Lana Del Rey. The cost of making it as an actor sometimes entails awesome-sounding last names. Thomas Cruise Mapother IV had to cut a few syllables and make the sacrifice. Like many actors on the list, Walter Bruce Willis went with the middle name, last name combo for his stage identity.

A childhood nickname, "Kit," born Christopher Catesby Harington, didn't find out his real name until he was eleven. Stevie was born Stevland Hardaway Morris. First on the list of monosyllabic singers is Paul David Hewson. Hewson was named "Bono Vox" by a childhood friend. United States. Type keyword s to search.

Today's Top Stories. How to Eat Like Chris Hemsworth. Getty Images. David Crotty Getty Images. Jamie Foxx. Michael Caine. Chris Jackson Getty Images. Elton John. Emma McIntyre Getty Images.

Idris Elba. Aaron Rapoport Getty Images. Bob Dylan. Charlie Sheen. Joaquin Phoenix. Joaquin Rafael Bottom changed his surname to match his siblings who had chosen "Phoenix. Stephane Cardinale - Corbis Getty Images.

John Legend.