20 celebrities you didn’t realize changed their names

Miley Cyrus has actually changed her name multiple times. The famous singer started out as Destiny Hope Cyrus and later changed her first name to Miley. She also changed her name while she was married, going by Miley Hemsworth for a period.

Dove is a perfectly believable first name, so you might not know that Dove isn’t Dove Cameron’s given name. The actress was born Chloe Celeste Hoffman, and she changed her name to Dove in honor of her father after he died, as he gave her the moniker as a nickname. 

John Legend came by his new name naturally. While his first name is John, his last name is Stephens. The singer adopted Legend as a nickname, and after being called it so much, he changed his name. 

If you know anything about Charlie Sheen’s family tree, you might wonder about his name. The actor was born Carlos Irwin Estevez, but Charlie opted for the same stage name as his father, Martin Sheen when he started acting, and he took on a new first name, too. 

Speaking of the Sheen family, Martin Sheen wasn’t a given name, either. Charlie Sheen’s father was born Ramon Antonio Gerardo Estevez, but he changed his name to Martin Sheen when he became an actor. Martin has expressed his regret over his decision, though, saying he was persuaded to make the change. 

Alicia Keys is the perfect name for a talented pianist, but it’s a little too perfect. The singer wasn’t born with the aptonym. Her given name is Alicia Augello Cook. 

Jon Bon Jovi does sound a bit like a stage name, but his given name isn’t too much different. The singer was born John Francis Bongiovi Jr., and some slight alterations turned it into what it is today. 

Billie Eilish’s given name is simply too long to use on stage. Her full name is Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell. She was going to be called Pirate, but her parents went with Billie in honor of her grandfather, William, who died shortly before she was born. 

Diane Keaton isn’t actually Diane Keaton. Her real name is Diane Hall, but the Oscar winner started using her mother’s maiden name when she began acting for the same reason many modern actors changed their name: Diane Hall was already taken in the Actors’ Equity Association. 

Starting a career in entertainment is a great way to suddenly change your name. Just ask Winona Ryder, born Winona Horowitz. When asked how she wanted to be credited for her first role, Winona changed her last name and used Ryder as a Mitch Ryder album was playing at the time. 

Tom Cruise is an awesome name, but it’s not the actor’s entire given name. The action star was born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, and he took an agent’s advice at the beginning of his career and went only by his first and middle name. 

Nina Dobrev certainly doesn’t sound like a name that was changed, but it was. The Bulgarian actress was born Nikolina Konstantinova Dobreva, and she shortened it when she started her career. 

Jennifer Aniston hasn’t always gone by Jennifer Aniston. Her given name is Jennifer Linn Anastassakis. John Aniston, Jennifer’s father and former soap opera star, opted for the surname Aniston when he started his career in entertainment. Now it’s a Hollywood legacy name. 

Lily James was born Lily Chloe Ninette Thomson. She changed her last name to James to honor her father, James Thomson, after his death. 

Demi Moore has changed her name a couple of times. The actress was born Demetria Gene Guynes. Her first name is just a shorter version of her given first name, and her last name she took on when she was married to Freddy Moore. 

Jamie Foxx had a unique reason for changing his name. The entertainer started out in stand-up comedy, and he noticed that female comedians were more likely to get called on stage before male comedians. Ergo, he adopted a stage name that sounded more feminine. 

Ariana Grande is an awesome name, but the performer has changed it. She was born Ariana Grande-Butera, but she started going just by Grande years ago. However, she did get credited as her full name in Wicked. 

Anyone who’s seen Rocketman knows that Elton John isn’t the singer’s real name. The performer was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, but he wasn’t happy with his given name, so he changed it. John credits his name change with an entirely new outlook. 

Joaquin Phoenix didn’t have much say in his name change. He was born Joaquin Bottom, but his parents changed their last name when they moved to the United States to symbolize their new start. 

Some celebrity names are quite believable. One such celebrity is Natalie Portman, but that’s not the Oscar winner’s given name. She was born Neta-lee Hershlag, and she adopted her grandmother’s maiden name, Portman, when she got into her career for privacy.