Celebrities Real Names or Birth Names Revealed

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Written by Mary Fetzer

Do you ever wonder what celebrities real names are? You may be surprised! Do you know Stefanie Joanne Angelina Germanotta, or Lady Gaga as she is now known? How about Eric Marlon Bishop, also known as Jamie Foxx? Perhaps you’ve heard of Shawn Corey Carter (Jay-Z) or Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner (Sting). Does Caryn Elaine Johnson ring a bell? How about her stage name, Whoopie Goldberg? From Miley Cyrus to Reese Witherspoon and Tom Cruise, find out what these stars’ real names were before they changed them when moving to Hollywood.

Reese Witherspoon Changing names has long been a common practice among movie stars, musicians, and athletes. Would Reginald Kenneth Dwight have achieved super-stardom without his stage name? Maybe… but it’s a lot easier—and a lot more fun—to know him as Elton John. And while the name John Denver conjures up memories of the beloved singer/songwriter, poet and activist, it’s hard to believe that Denver’s given name, Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., would fit that image.

Some celebrities change their names to hide family ties or ethnicity. (Danny Thomas was actually Amos Alphonsus Muzyad Yakhoob, and George Michael’s given name is Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou.) Others just want names that are more stage-worthy. (50 Cent was born Curtis James Jackson III, and Red Buttons was really named Aaron Chwatt.) Still others use their real names but drop, change or reverse a first, middle or last name. (Robert Redford is actually Charles Robert Redford, and Diahann Carroll’s real name is Carol Diahann Johnson.)

Check out this list of celebrities and their real names.

Academy Award Winners/Nominees

• Bing Crosby = Harry Lillis Crosby
• Cary Grant = Archibald Alexander Leach
• Clark Gable = William Clark Gable
• Gary Cooper = Frank James Cooper
• Geena Davis  =Virginia Elizabeth Davis
• Jamie Foxx = Eric Marlon Bishop
• Jodie Foster = Alicia Christian Foster
• John Wayne = Marion Robert Morrison
• Judy Garland = Frances Ethel Gumm
• Meryl Streep = Mary Louise Streep
• Reese Witherspoon= Laura Jean Reese Witherspoon
• Sissy Spacek=  Mary Elizabeth Spacek
• Sophia Loren = Sofia Villani Scicolone
• Tilda Swinton=  Katherine Mathilda Swinton
• Tom Cruise = Thomas Cruise Mapother IV

Musical Performers

• Al Jolson =  Asa Yoelson
• Alice Cooper = Vincent Damien Furnier
• Axl Rose = William Bruce Rose Jr.
• Bo Diddley = Ellas Otha Bates
• Bob Dylan = Robert Allen Zimmerman
• Bobby Darin=  Walden Robert Cassotto
• Chaka Khan = Yvette Marie Stevens
• Chubby Checker= Ernest Evans
• Donna Summer = La Donna Adrian Gaines
• Elvis Costello=  Declan Patrick MacManus
• Eminem = Marshall Bruce Mathers II
• Faith Hill = Audrey Faith Perry
• Fatboy Slim=  Quentin Leo Cook
• Gene Simmons = Chaim Witz
• Jon Bon Jovi = John Francis Bongiovi Jr.
• Kid Rock=  Robert James Ritchie
• Lil Wayne=  Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr.
• LL Cool J = James Todd Smith
• Marc Anthony  =Marco Antonio Muniz
• Marilyn Manson= Brian Hugh Warner
• Mary J. Blige = Mary Jane Blige
• MC Hammer=  Stanley Kirk Burrell
• Meat Loaf = Marvin Lee Aday
• Miley Cyrus = Destiny Hope Cyrus
• Ne-Yo =  Shaffer Chimere Smith
• Ringo Starr=  Richard Starky Jr.
• Shania Twain  =Eileen Regina Edwards
• Stevie Wonder = Steveland Hardaway Judkins
• Tina Turner = Anna Mae Bullock
• Tiny Tim = Herbert Kaury
• Tony Bennett=  Anthony Benedetto Dominick
• Wynonna Judd  =Christina Claire Ciminella

TV Personalities

• Alan Alda = Alphonso D’Abruzzo
• Barbara Stanwyck =Ruby Katherine Stevens
• Bea Arthur = Bernice Frankel
• Bob Hope = Leslie Townes Hope
• Charlie Sheen  =Carlos Irwin Estevez
• Chuck Norris  =Carlos Ray Norris
• Della Reese  =Delloreese Patricia Early
• Dick Van Dyke = Richard Wayne Van Dyke
• Hugh Laurie = James Hugh Calum Laurie
• Hulk Hogan=  Terry Gene Bollea
• Jack Lord =  John Joseph Patrick Ryan
• Jamie Farr = Jameel Joseph Farah
• Jane Seymour = Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg
• Jason Alexander= Jason Scott Greenspan
• Karl Malden = Mladen George Sekulovich
• Kiefer Sutherland= Keifer William Fredrick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland
• Larry King = Lawrence Harvey
• Lee Majors = Harvey Lee Yeary
• Michael Landon = Eugene Maurice Orowitz
• Mickey Rooney = Joseph Yule Jr.
• Mr. T  = Laurence Tureaud
• Portia de Rossi = Amanda Lee Rogers
• Red Skelton=  Richard Bernard Skelton
• Snookie  = Nicole Polizzi
• Sonny Bono = Salvatore Phillip Bono
• Telly Savalas = Aristotelis Savalas
• Tina Fey  =Elizabeth Stamatina Fey
• Tony Danza = Anthony Salvatore la Danza
• Tony Randall = Arthur Leonard Rosenberg
• Whoopie Goldberg =Caryn Elaine Johnson

Sports

• Babe Didrikson = Mildred Ella Didrikson Zaharias (golf, track)
• Babe Ruth  =George Herman Ruth Jr. (baseball)
• Bam Morris = Byron Morris (football)
• Boom Boom Mancini =Ray Mancini (boxing)
• Bubba Smith = Charles Aaron Smith (football)
• Buster Douglas=  James Douglas (boxing)
• Cadillac Anderson =Gregory Wayne Anderson (basketball)
• Chad Ochocinco =Chad Javon Johnson (football)
• Crazylegs Hirsch= Elroy Hirsch (football)
• Dirt Winston  =Dennis Edward Winston (football)
• Dr. J  = Julius Winfield Erving II (basketball)
• Hurricane Carter= Rubin Carter (boxing)
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar= Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor (basketball)
• Magic Johnson = Earvin Johnson Jr. (basketball)
• Mercury Morris = Eugene Morris (football)
• Minnesota Fats = George Hegerman (pool)
• Mookie Blaylock =Daron Oshay Blaylock (basketball)
• Muggsy Bogues  =Tyrone Curtis Bogues (basketball)
• Muhammad Ali = Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. (boxing)
• Pacman Jones = Adam Bernard Jones (football)
• Pearl Washington= Dwayne Alonzo Washington
• Pee Wee Reese=  Harold Henry Reese (baseball)
• Pokey Reese = Calvin Reese Jr. (baseball)
• Rocket Ismail=  Raghib Ramadian Ismail (football)
• Tiger Woods = Eldrick Tont Woods
• Three Finger Brown= Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown (baseball)

One Name Wonders

• Babyface= Kenneth Brian Edmonds
• Beyonce= Beyonce Giselle Knowles
• Bjork=  Bjork Guðmundsdóttir
• Bono = Paul David Hewson
• Brandy=  Brandy Rayana Norwood
• Carmindy= Carmindy Kathryn Bower
• Charo = María Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Moquiere de les Esperades Santa Ana Romanguera y de la Najosa Rasten
• Cher = Cherilyn Sarkisian
• Chyna=  Joan Marie Laurer
• Ciara = Ciara Princess Harris
• Diddy=  Sean John Combs
• Drake = Aubrey Drake Graham
• Duffy = Aimee Ann Duffy
• Elvira = Cassandra Peterson
• Elvis=  Elvis Aaron Presley
• Enya = Eithne Patricia Ni Bhraohain
• Fergie = Stacy Ann Ferguson
• Jewel  =Jewel Kilcher
• Ke$ha=  Kesha Rose Sebert
• Liberace =Wladziu Valentino Liberace
• Ludacris= Christopher Brian Bridges
• Madonna= Madonna Louise Ciccone
• Mo’Nique= Monique Imes Jackson
• Nelly = Cornell Haynes Jr.
• Nostradamus= Michel de Nostredame
• Pele=  Edison Arantes do Nascimento
• Pink = Alecia Beth Moore
• Prince = Prince Rogers Nelson
• Rihanna= Robyn Rihanna Fenty
• Sade=  Helen Folasada Adu
• Seal = Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel
• Shaggy=  Orville Richard Burrell
• Shakira = Shakira Isabele Mebarak Ripoll
• Timbaland =Timothy Zachary Mosley
• Twiggy = Leslie Hornby
• Versace = Gianni Versace
• Yanni = Yiannis Hrysomallis