Stage Names
The real names of famous celebrities - their pseudonyms uncovered.
There are many reasons for choosing a stage name instead of using your birth name. Often names are changed because they don't have the right sound or they are thought to be too plain and ordinary. Sometimes people wish to conceal their family origins. Another reason for changing a name, particularly in the acting profession, is that many acting organisations specifically prevent more then one member having the same name. For example David Walliams of Little Britain fame changed his name from Williams because of an existing member of Equity Acting Association
| Celebrity Stage Name | Real Name |
|---|---|
| 50 Cent | Curtis Jackson |
| Adam Ant | Stuart Leslie Goddard |
| Adam Faith | Terence Nelhams |
| Alice Cooper | Vincent Damon Furnier |
| Anna Nicole Smith | Vickie Lynn Hogan |
| Axl Rose | William Bailey |
| Barbara Windsor | Barbara-Ann Deeks |
| Barry Manilow | Barry Alan Pinkus |
| Benny Hill | Alfred Hawthorne Hill |
| Bez | Mark Berry |
| Big Daddy | Shirley Crabtree |
| Bill Wyman | William Perks |
| Billy Idol | William Broad |
| Billy Ocean | Leslie Sabastian Charles |
| Bing Crosby | Harry Lillis Crosby |
| Bob Dylan | Robert Allen Zimmerman |
| Bono | Paul Hewson |
| Boy George | George O Dowd |
| Brigette Bardot | Camille Javal |
| Buddy Holly | Charles Hardin Holley |
| Carmen Electra | Tara Patrick |
| Charlie Sheen | Carlos Irwin Estevez |
| Charlton Heston | John Charles Carter |
| Cher | Cherilyn Sarkisian LaPiere |
| Cheryl Baker | Rita Crudgington |
| Chris De Burgh | Christopher Davidson |
| Cilla Black | Priscilla White |
| Cliff Richard | Harry Webb |
| Crystal Gayle | Brenda Gail Webb |
| David Bowie | David Robert Jones |
| David Copperfield | David Kotkin |
| David Essex | David Albert Cook |
| David Jason | David John White |
| David Tennant | David McDonald |
| David Walliams | David Williams |
| Demi Moore | Demetria Gene Guynes |
| Diana Ross | Diane Earle |
| Dido | Florian Cloud de Bounevialle Armstrong |
| DJ Jazzy Jeff | Jeffrey Townes |
| Elle Macpherson | Eleanor Gow |
| Elton John | Reginald Dwight |
| Elvis Costello | Declan Mcmanus |
| Eminem | Marshall Bruce Mathers III |
| Englebert Humperdinck | Arnold George Dorsey (Gerry Dorsey was an earlier stage name) |
| Eric Clapton | Eric Clapp |
| Frank Skinner | Chris Collins |
| Freddie Mercury | Farrokh Bulsara |
| Freddie Starr | Freddie Powell |
| Gary Glitter | Paul Gadd |
| Gary Numan | Gary Webb |
| Gene Wilder | Jerome Silberman |
| George Michael | Georgios Panaylotou |
| George Orwell | Eric Blair |
| Gloria Estefan | Gloria Fajardo |
| Goldie | Clifford Price |
| Harry Houdini | Erich Weiss |
| Hulk Hogan | Terry Bollea |
| Janet Street Porter | Janet Bull |
| Jennifer Aniston | Jennifer Anastassakis |
| Joe Strummer | John Graham Mellor |
| John Cleese | John Cheese |
| John Wayne | Marion Morrison |
| Jordan | Katie Price |
| Kenny Everett | Maurice Cole |
| Lulu | Marie Lawrie |
| Madonna | Madonna Louise Ciccone |
| Marilyn Manson | Brian Warner |
| Marilyn Monroe | Norma Baker |
| Meatloaf | Marvin Aday |
| Meg Ryan | Margaret Hyra |
| Mel Gibson | Columcille Gibson |
| Michael Barrymore | Michael Parker |
| Michael Caine | Maurice Micklewhite |
| Michael Crawford | Michael Dumble-Smith |
| Moby | Richard Melville Hall |
| Mos Def | Dante Terrell Smith |
| Natalie Portman | Natalie Hershlag |
| Neil Diamond | Noah Kaminsky |
| Nicolas Cage | Nicolas Coppola |
| Nina Ricci | Maria Nielli |
| Nina Simone | Eunice Wayman |
| Omar Sharif | Michael Shalhoub |
| Ozzy Osbourne | John Osbourne |
| Paul McCartney | James Paul McCartney |
| Pink | Alecia Moore |
| Prince | Prince Nelson |
| Ralph Lauren | Ralph Lipschitz |
| Ricky Martin | Enrique Morales |
| Ringo Starr | Richard Starkey |
| Robert Palmer | Alan Batley |
| Russ Abbot | Russell Roberts |
| Seal | Sealhenry Samuel |
| Shakin Stevens | Michael Barratt |
| Snoop Doggy Dogg | Calvin Broadus |
| Spike Milligan | Terence Alan Milligan |
| Stevie Wonder | born Steveland Judkins changed to Steveland Morris |
| Stewart Granger | James Lablanche Stewart |
| Sting | Gordon Sumner |
| Suggs | Graham Mc Pherson |
| The Edge | David Evans |
| Tiger Woods | Eldrick Woods |
| Tina Turner | Anna Bullock |
| Tom Cruise | Thomas Cruise Mapother IV |
| Twiggy | Lesley Hornby |
| Vanilla Ice | Robert Van Winkle |
| Vic Reeves | Jim Moir |
| Vin Diesel | Mark Vincent |
| Whoopi Goldberg | Caryn Johnson |
| Woody Allen | Allen Konigsberg |