They may have been born with amazing talent, but for most of them they weren’t born with the names we know them for. Check out these celebrity stage names.
Michael J. Fox
The only thing different about Michael’s real name and his stage name is his middle initial. His middle name is actually Andrew, but because the Screen Actors Guild doesn’t allow duplicate names, he switched the A with J.
Vin Diesel
This hunky actor’s name is actually quite eloquent. He’s really Mark Sinclair Vincent.
Katy Perry
This famous pop singer’s name is actually Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, but she decided to go by her mother’s maiden name to avoid confusion with another famous celeb, Kate Hudson.
Blake Lively
Similar to Katy Perry, Blake’s real name is Blake Ellender Brown, but she took on her mom’s last name when she began her acting career.
Emma Stone
If you known anything about Emma Stone, than you know she has a clear obsession with the Spice Girls. She’s so obsessed that she actually changed her name from Emily Jean to Emma to match that of Baby Spice.
Tim Allen
Tim decided to go by his middle name Allen instead of his last name which is actually Dick.
Demi Moore
Demi was born Demetria Guynes, but after her marriage, (and then divorce) with singer Freddy Moore she decided to keep it.
Natalie Portman
This Best Actress Oscar winner is actually Natalie Hershlag.
Miley Cyrus
Just as her style changes over time, so do her names. Originally born Destiny Hope Cyrus, Miley got her nickname for being very “smiley.” Since it stuck with her during her career, she legally changed her name to Miley Ray Cyrus when she turned 15.
Stevie Wonder
Ever wonder what this musical legend’s real name is? Well, he was originally born Steveland Hardaway Judkins.
Lana Del Rey
This singer’s real name sounds nothing like her stage name. Lana is actually Elizabeth Grant.
Jamie Foxx
Back when he was doing stand-up comedy, Eric Marlon Bishop, changed his name to the “gender-ambiguous” Jamie to help him get on stage first during gigs.
Julianne Moore
Less is more. For her stage name, this Mockingjay actress decided to combine her two names together. She is actually Julie Anne Smith.
Nicki Minaj
This female rapper was actually born Onika Tanya Maraj.
Nicolas Cage
We know his name well, but his original last name is a bit harder to pronounce…Coppola.
Brad Pitt
Very similar to his stage name, Brad just decided to drop his first which is actually William.
Lea Michele
This Glee star decided to go by her middle name instead of her last name which is Sarfati.
Corbin Bleu
This recently engaged High School Musical star is actually Corbin Reivers, but he dropped his last name to start his own career separate from his father, David Reivers.
Lalaine
Lalaine, best known for her role as Miranda on Lizzie McGuire, does the classic one name stage name. Her full name is actually Lalaine Vergara-Paras.
Raven
Must be a Disney trend, this Disney Channel star also went by her first name for a while, but is now referred to as Raven-Symoné. Her full name is actually Raven-Symoné Christina Pearman.