Would you change your name?
What famous actor changed his name to avoid family connections?
Published on May 3, 2025
Credit: Ainur Iman
A great name can take you a long way in show business—but alas, not everyone is blessed with a glamorous or even interesting birth name. These 12 talented individuals decided to change their real names to something that—at least to them—sounded better suited for their purposes. Did you already know any of these?
Lady Gaga
Credit: Noah Näf
While it may surprise some that certain celebrities don’t use their real names, others are quite obviously fabricated. Lady Gaga’s parents gave their daughter the more traditional name Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta.
Her friends later nicknamed her "Gaga," inspired by a lyric from the Queen song "Radio Ga Ga," which reminded them of her musical style—and the name stuck.
Snoop Dogg
Credit: ZENG YILI
The West Coast rapper was born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., but he grew up in a family that called him Snoopy because they thought he bore a resemblance to the animated beagle cartoon character. When Calvin launched his music career, the nickname stuck.
LL Cool J
Credit: Chase Fade
Back in the early days of rap music, a young James Todd began calling himself LL Cool J —short for "Ladies Love Cool James"— in hopes of making a name for himself. As fame eventually found him, the name became his signature.
Vin Diesel
Credit: Joey Banks
As you might have guessed, Vin Diesel’s parents didn’t name him that way but, instead, Mark Sinclair. Mark began going by his stage name while working as a bouncer at a New York nightclub, wanting a tougher-sounding name for his job.
Jamie Foxx
Credit: BRUNO CERVERA
Eric Marlon Bishop decided to change his name to a unisex one upon entering the stand-up comedy business. He thought that women performers got more chances than men, and if his name sounded female, his chances of being called were greater. Right or wrong, the strategy worked, and he became famous in the end.
Alicia Keys
Credit: Johannes Plenio
When Alicia Augello Cook was searching for the perfect stage name, she turned to the dictionary for inspiration. She was drawn to the word "Keys" because it reminded her of her favorite instrument, the piano — and because keys open many doors.
Nicolas Cage
Credit: Lisa
Nicolas Kim Coppola changed his name to avoid being associated with his famous uncle, director Francis Ford Coppola. He chose "Cage" as a tribute to two of his inspirations: Marvel Comics’ Luke Cage, a character he admired, and avant-garde composer John Cage.
Eminem
Credit: Janine Robinson
This one is pretty straightforward: the phonetic pronunciation of Marshall Mathers’ initials —"M.M."— is, you guessed it, Eminem.
Shia LaBeouf
Credit: Madie Hamilton
Granted, the name does sound exotic to begin with—but the real meaning is even stranger. "Shia" means "praise God" in Hebrew, and "LaBeouf" means "beef." So, this actor’s name quite literally means "Praise God for beef."
Stevie Wonder
Credit: Gabriel Gurrola
Stevie may be a wonder when it comes to singing and playing the piano, but he wasn’t born with that name. His real name is Stevland Hardaway Judkins. When he signed with Motown in 1961, his surname was legally changed to Morris, an old family name.
He adopted the stage name Stevie Wonder because people were astounded by his talent and called him "a little wonder."
Queen Latifah
Credit: Church of the King
As we’ve seen so far, some names are just too great to be real—and that’s certainly the case with Queen Latifah, who was born Dana Elaine Owens. In her own words, she chose her stage name because "Latifah" means "delicate and very kind" in Arabic, and she liked the juxtaposition of that softness with the boldness of "Queen."
Taylor Swift
Credit: Rosa Rafael
Taylor Swift’s real name is, indeed, Taylor Swift—and it was chosen because her parents were big James Taylor fans. As James himself once said: "It’s hugely flattering and was a delightful surprise when she told me that. Obviously, it wasn’t her choice; it was her mom and dad, but a great connection, I think."