Some Celebrities You Never Knew Changed Their Names
Believe it or not, most aspects of show business aren’t completely transparent. While many questions about celebrities surface, one intriguing mystery often remains hidden: the name they were given at birth.
Many of today’s stars were born with completely different names—not just slight changes like Emily to Emma (we’re looking at you, Miss Stone), but dramatic transformations like Vin Diesel‘s college-era makeover or the classic middle-to-first name switch, as seen with Meghan Markle and Reese Witherspoon.
Some of these name changes are so remarkable that they make us wonder: Does the name make the celebrity, or is it the other way around?
Demi Moore
Less is Moore according to Demi (formerly known as Demetria Gene Guynes).
Tom Cruise
The Mission Impossible star once bore a fancy roman numeral at the end of his name: Thomas Cruise Mapother IV.
Courtney Love
The punk icon was born Courtney Michelle Harrison.
Mindy Kaling
The comedian was born Vera Mindy Chokalingam
Gigi Hadid
Gigi was born Jelena Noura Hadid, however, Yolanda Foster started calling the supermodel Gigi when she was just a child
Bella Hadid
Similarly to sister Gigi, Bella wasn’t born, well, Bella either. Her full moniker? Isabella Khair Hadid
Meghan Markle
Prince Harry’s leading lady wasn’t actually born a Meghan. That is the actress’s middle name — her given moniker is really Rachel ― the same name as her character on Suits.
John Legend
Truth be told, John — the man, the myth, the LEGEND — did not bear such a show-stopping name at the time of his birth. The singer originally went by John Roger Stephens.
Louis C.K.
The comic’s real name is Louis Székely — “C.K.” is a strictly professional suffix.
Meg Ryan
Ryan’s real name is quite the mouthful: Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra. We don’t think that would have fit on the poster for You’ve Got Mail.
Ralph Lauren
The first-name-as-a-last-name phenomenon is a gift bestowed upon the truly #blessed among us — but sometimes it isn’t quite that easy. Lauren was born Ralph Lifshitz (doesn’t really roll off the tongue, huh?)
Audrey Hepburn
Much (read: all) of Hollywood’s Audrey-Katharine confusion could’ve been avoided had Audrey stuck to her original last name: Ruston.
Vin Diesel
If you’ve been wondering what sort of parents would willingly name their child Vin… well, not this guy’s! The Fast and the Furious star was born Mark Sinclair. The rise of Vin Diesel came from his days as an N.Y.C. bouncer — obvs, you don’t mess with Vin
Nicki Minaj
The rapper’s nom de plume is a truncated version of her original moniker, Onika Tanya Maraj
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