There are so many celebrities who have changed their names in order to make it big in the Hollywood industry and a lot of the time, their real names seem so normal and natural that it is hard to imagine that they changed their name at all. A celebrity like Lady Gaga, for example, obviously changed her name because everyone knows that Lady Gaga is clearly a stage name.
Her real name is Stefani Germanotta. Some celebrities choose to change their name because they don’t want to be confused with people who were already famous. Regardless of the reason, these name changes obviously had positive impacts on their careers.
10 Reese Witherspoon - Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon
Her real name might be Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon but she's gone by Reese Witherspoon in the Hollywood industry. According to TheTalko, she changed her name for the specific reason of having a name that sounded more Hollywood. Laura Jeanne is an old-fashioned sounding name while Reese sounds free, fun, and fresh. Cutting off those first two names made a world of a difference.
9 Nina Dobrev - Nikolina Konstantinova Dobreva
Who would have thought that Nina Dobrev's real name was actually Nikolina Konstantinova Dobreva? She knew her name was super long so she decided to trim it down a bit and make it easier for others to say. Her name is Bulgarian and in the Hollywood industry, pronouncing foreign names isn't always the easiest thing to do in the world.
8 Lucy Hale - Karen Lucille Hale
Karen Lucille Hale is Lucy Hale's real name. She kept her last name intact but mode away from her first name entirely. She trimmed her middle name, Lucille, down to Lucy. This was an incredibly smart move for Lucy Hale since her name is so unforgettable. It is short, sweet, and to the point. When she told the crowd during a Jimmy Fallon interview, everyone was very surprised.
7 Nicki Minaj - Onika Tanya Maraj
Nicki Minaj's real name is Onika Tanya Maraj. The famous rapper decided to change her name because she knew it would help her on her path to superstardom. It worked and she was right-- although with all of her talent, she would have made it big regardless of what name she used. Nicki Minaj is known for releasing some of the catchiest rap music that crosses over into the pop category often.
6 Lana Del Rey - Elizabeth Woolridge Grant
True Lana Del Rey stans already know that Lana Del Rey's real name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant. She even released an album under the name Lizzie Grant. Other stage names she briefly considered were Sparkle Jump Rope Queen and May Jailer.
(Thankfully she didn't go with those because...) Anyway, she renamed herself "Lana Del Rey" because she wanted a name that sounded more exotic... a name that reminded her of "the seaside on the Floridian coast.” It was a brilliant decision for her.
5 Portia De Rossi - Amanda Lee Rogers
Portia De Rossi's real name is Amanda Lee Rogers. Her real name and new name are so very different... it sort of makes people wonder where the new name came from?! Apparently, she was so inspired by William Shakespeare that she decided to change her name to a fictional character he'd written up in his play The Merchant of Venice. In 2010 she changed her name to Degeneres after marrying Ellen.
4 Katy Perry - Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson
Katy Perry's real name is Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson. She did not want to get confused with or mistaken for Kate Hudson, the already-famous actress, so she knew she had to switch it up.
In 2003 she decided she wanted to go with Katy Perry which is a name that stands out as soon as you hear it. Katy is a cute nickname for Katheryn and Perry is a total replacement for Hudson.
3 Miley Cyrus - Destiny Hope Cyrus
Destiny Hope Cyrus is Miley Cyrus' real name. When she was a little one, her family would call her "Smiley" since she would smile all the time. She had a great reputation for always being giggly and happy. That is a good reputation to have as a child. Her choice to go with Miley Cyrus instead of Destiny Hope Cyrus was incredibly smart. Miley is a rare name that is so uncommon, it stands out.
2 DoveCameron - Chloe Celeste Hoffman
Dove Cameron's real name is Chloe Celeste Hoffman. The new name is all thanks to her father. She told StyleWatch, "He called me Dove more than he ever called me Chloe. He passed away when I was 15, and I decided to legally change it. So it’s on my passport—everything legal is Dove.” Dove is such a gorgeous name to choose since real-life doves are such beautiful birds!
1 Marilyn Monroe - Norma Jean Mortenson
One of the most iconic celebrities to ever life is Marilyn Monroe. She lived a tragic life way before the rest of the celebs on this list but her choice to change her name from Norma Jean Mortenson to Marilyn Monroe deserves to be mentioned. She legally changed her name back in 1956 after a studio executive suggested it was a good decision for her. She gained a lot of success as Marilyn, as the world knows.
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