20 celebrities you didn’t realize go by stage names

Yep, Emma Stone goes by a stage name. Her given name is Emily Jean Stone, but she couldn’t use it when she became an actor because it was already taken by another SAG member. The star has expressed that she’d like to be addressed by her given name, though. 

It’s sad to learn that some people’s stage names aren’t their given names, like Portia de Rossi. Her real name is Amanda Lee Rogers, but she changed it when she became an actress in hopes of creating a new image for herself. Mission accomplished. 

Bruno Mars is an awesome name, but it’s not what he was given at birth. The star’s real name is Peter Hernandez. Mars’ family started calling him Bruno when he was young because of his resemblance to wrestler Bruno Sammartino.

Obviously, Drake wasn’t given a mononym at birth, but Drake isn’t the rapper’s first name. His given name is Aubrey Drake Graham. He used his given name when he started his acting career, but he’s gone by Drake ever since he started rapping. 

Drake’s close companion, Nicki Minaj, goes by a stage name, too, though hers took a little longer to arrive at. Her given name is Onika Maraj, and she first went by Cookie and Harajuku Barbie before settling on the name she’s known as. 

Meg Ryan could totally be a given name, and it’s probably someone’s, but it’s not the actress’. Her given name is Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra. The star opted to go by her professional name when joining SAG, and she used a nickname of her first name and a family name for her surname. 

It’s not surprising to learn that Whoopi Goldberg is a stage name, but you likely have never heard her real name. The EGOT winner was born Caryn Johnson. Whoopi is a nickname she’s had since childhood, and Goldberg is a family name. 

Like Whoopi Goldberg, it’s entirely believable that Vin Diesel is a stage name, but it’s a good enough alternative that people aren’t going to question whether it’s real. The actor’s given name is Mark Vincent. 

Olivia Wilde’s given name is Olivia Cockburn. It’s clear why she decided to change it. The actress opted for the last name Wilde as a tribute to the famed writer Oscar Wilde. 

Michael Keaton’s given name is Michael Douglas. The actor couldn’t use the name for obvious reasons, so he adopted his new last name, Keaton, to pay homage to vaudeville actor Buster Keaton. 

Katy Perry is another totally believable name, it’s just not the star’s given name. She was born Kathryn Hudson and used the name Katy Hudson while making gospel music, but when she turned her attention to pop, she adopted her mother’s maiden name, Perry, to avoid confusion with Kate Hudson. 

When Mindy Kaling was born, her parents named her Vera Mindy Chokalingham. The actor has gone by Mindy since she was young, but she shortened her last name when she entered the professional world. 

Lana Del Rey’s given name is Elizabeth Grant. She created her stage name after struggling to succeed as a musician. Given her talent, it’s hard to believe she struggled, but it seems she was meant to become Lana Del Rey. 

Iggy Azalea’s given name is Amethyst Kelly. With a real name like that, it’s hard to fathom wanting a stage name. 

Before she was Faith Hill, she went by Audrey Perry, her given name. The singer changed her last name when she married a man named Daniel Hill and used her middle name, Faith, as her first name. She kept her last name after the divorce, as she had already released an album under the name Faith Hill. 

When you really think about it, it’s not shocking that Shania Twain is a stage name. How many people in the world are named Shania? The country superstar was Eileen Edwards at birth. 

Lots of country artists have changed their names. Elle King, daughter of Rob Schneider, was born Tanner Schneider, but she didn’t want to be associated with her father when she started her career. 

Marilyn Manson totally fits the singer’s image. You know what doesn’t? His given name, Brian Warner. The celebrity changed his name when he started his music career, using Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson as his muses, the former of whom went by a stage name, too. 

Calvin Harris is one of those celebrities who makes you wonder why they chose a new name. His given name is Adam Wiles, which is a perfectly acceptable name. Apparently, he thought Calvin Harris “sounded a bit more racially ambiguous.”

Travis Scott’s real name is Jacques Bermon Webster II. Though regal, it is a little long, so it’s understandable why he goes by a stage name. The rapper did pass on his given last name to his children, though: Stormi and Aire Webster.