14 Celebrities Who Hid Their Real Names From You

Even though celebrities’ private lives often seem an open book, there are still plenty of things we don’t know—like the real names they were given at birth and the stories behind them. It’s common in Hollywood for stars to change their names. Some stick with childhood nicknames given by their parents, while others choose a new stage name that better suits their public persona.

Brad Pitt — William Bradley Pitt

Throughout his career, Brad Pitt has captivated audiences with his striking appearance. Interestingly, ’Brad Pitt’ isn’t his legal name — he was born William Bradley Pitt, keeping it close to the original but simplified for the spotlight.

Rihanna — Robyn Rihanna Fenty

Rihanna is recognized around the globe, but the name we all know is actually her middle name. Her given first name is Robyn, which her family and close friends continue to use.

Winona Ryder — Winona Laura Horowitz

Winona chose her stage name on a whim. When her agent asked how she wanted to be credited, she was inspired by her dad’s favorite musician, Mitch Ryder.

Miley Cyrus — Destiny Hope Cyrus

Miley Cyrus legally changed her name back in 2008 from Destiny Hope Cyrus to Miley Cyrus. The name Miley is a rendition of her childhood nickname “Smiley” in honor of her paternal grandfather.

Jessie J — Jessica Ellen Cornish

You might be wondering what the J stands for in Jessie J’s name. Well, her real name is Jessica Ellen Cornish. Basically, the J in her name stands for different things, which depend on the day and her mood. But there are certain things known, her favorite nicknames are, “Jessie Jazz-hands” and “Jessie Jetlag.”

Wiz Khalifa — Cameron Jibril Thomaz

Wiz Khalifa’s family already knew that their kid was born to succeed, inspired by his uncle’s name, which means “knowledge” in Arabic, the rapper was born Cameron Jibril Thomaz but named himself Wisdom. His uncle then added Khalifa, which is also Arabic, and it means “successor.” He later shortened his name to Wiz when he was 15 years old because his friends called him young Wiz all the time since he was “good at everything.”

Ludacris — Christopher Brian Bridges

Christopher Brian Bridges is known professionally as Ludacris. When speaking with MTV’s hip hop show Direct Effect in 2000, Ludacris explained his name was a play on the word “ludicrous” which he took on as his stage name.

Charlie Sheen — Carlos Irwin Estevez

Charlie’s decision to change his name from Carlos to Charlie was simply to avoid confusion between him and his uncle, who is also named Carlos. At the beginning of his acting career, he also decided to follow in his father’s footsteps by taking on his last name, Sheen.

Bruno Mars — Peter Gene Hernandez

Born Peter Gene Hernandez, he renamed himself, according to what he told Latina magazine.

“My dad nicknamed me Bruno since I was 2 years old. I was going to go by ’Bruno,’ one name. Mars just kind of came joking around because that sounds bigger than life. That was it, simple as that.”

Elsa Pataky — Elsa Lafuente Medianu

Elsa Pataky is a Spanish model and actress known for her role as Elena Neves in the Fast & Furious franchise. Her full name is Elsa Lafuente Medianu, but she uses the surname Pataky in homage to her maternal grandmother: Rosa Pataky.

Lorde — Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor

Lorde changed her original name at the age of 12 when she was signed to a development contract with the Universal Music Group after an agent of theirs saw footage of her singing at a middle school talent show. The royalty hidden in the name Lord encouraged her in changing her original name, but she also added an “e” because she felt that Lord would be too masculine for a girl.

Larry King — Lawrence Zeiger

Larry King was born as Lawrance Harvey Zeiger in Brooklyn, New York. The decision to change his name happened in the blink of an eye. King was told only minutes before his first ever live broadcast that his name was “too ethnic” by the radio station manager. He had to make a very fast decision there, when his manager spotted an ad for a local Miami business called King’s Wholesale, he immediately liked it, and he adopted “King” as his new last name.

Frank Ocean — Christopher Edwin Breaux

Frank Ocean is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper whose stage name comes from a combination of Frank Sinatra’s first name and the 1960s film Ocean’s 11, which Sinatra starred in.

Millie Bobby Brown — Millie Bonnie Bongiovi

At birth, the Stranger Things star was named Millie Bonnie Brown, but early in her career, she changed her middle name to Bobby. Now, the actress is married to Jake Bongiovi, son of Jon Bon Jovi, and her name is Millie Bonnie Bongiovi.

Here, you can see how stars of the same age can look very different.