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40 Famous Women You Didn't Know Changed Their Names

There's no rule you have to stick with the name you were given!

By and Janaya Wecker
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Nowadays parents are coming up with some pretty awesome names, like Liv and Liam. But back in the day, names weren't always so on trend. And beyond that, there just might not be that special ring to it when you say it out loud. For such reasons, lots of female celebrities chose new names to better brand themselves and create a new identity for Hollywood. And while some celebs clearly use stage names (hello, Cardi B), there are several celebrities with different names than the ones they were given, and you'd never know! Here are 40 surprising celebs who have changed their names.

1

Reese Witherspoon

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Real name: Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon

Reese kept her name but shortened it, choosing to keep her mom's maiden name, Reese, and make that her first. Apparently, she changed her name to make it more "Hollywood."

2

Nina Dobrev

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Real name: Nikolina Konstantinova Dobreva

Nina's real Bulgarian name is super long. So, it's no wonder she chose to shorten it to appeal better to Hollywood. She says she shortened it to make it more "memorable."

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3

Kat Dennings

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Real name: Katherine Litwack

While the actress' first name is just a nickname, she changed her last name from Litwack to Dennings. She swapped it to make it sound better on the tongue.

4

Lucy Hale

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Real name: Karen Lucille Hale

While she kept her last name, Lucy claimed her middle name as her first but shortened it to a nickname, going from Lucille to Lucy. She announced it on Jimmy Fallon and shocked many fans.

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5

Emma Stone

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Real name: Emily Stone

Emma is actually Emily Stone, but she chose to go with a different "Em" sound because she loved Emma "Baby Spice" Bunton, as she said on Jimmy Fallon.

6

Nicki Minaj

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Real name: Onika Tanya Maraj

Nicki was born Onika Tanya Maraj, but she changed it to a stage name she thought was a better fit for stardom.

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7

Faith Hill

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Real name: Audrey Faith Perry

Faith chose to take her middle name as her first. And when she married her first husband, Daniel Hill, she took his last name. After their divorce, she kept it professionally—she thought it fit better, and her fans already knew her as Faith Hill at that point. (And for the record, she must still love her given name, because she and current husband Tim McGraw named their third daughter Audrey!)

8

Portia De Rossi

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Real name: Amanda Lee Rogers

Portia chose to legally change her name based off of a character in William Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice. She later also changed her last name to DeGeneres in honor of her wife, Ellen, back in 2010.

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9

Lana Del Rey

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Real name: Elizabeth Grant

Born Elizabeth Grant, or "Lizzie," she chose to go by Lana Del Rey for her singing career. She tried to make it as Lizzie Grant, but her career flopped, so she renamed herself, tried again, and made a splash.

10

Carmen Electra

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Real name: Tara Leigh Patrick

Carmen changed her birth name in 1991 after meeting Prince, who suggested she change her name to further her career. She took his advice and went with it.

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11

Audrey Hepburn

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Real name: Edda van Heemstra Hepburn-Ruston

While there's a ton of speculation surrounding the origins of Audrey Hepburn's name, most experts say the Belgian-born actress changed it to Audrey because it's the English form of Edda.

12

Katy Perry

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Real name: Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson

In 2003, Katy began performing as Katheryn Perry to avoid getting mistaken for actress Kate Hudson. But then she shortened it and went all in on Katy instead.

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13

Tina Fey

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Real name: Elizabeth Stamatina Fey

Tina actually changed her name before stardom, back when she was in high school. The shortened version does have a nice flow to it, doesn't it?

14

Helen Mirren

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Real name: Ilyena Vasilievna Mironoff

Helen wiped out her first and middle and changed it to Helen. Her father changed the family's last name to Mirren in the 1950s.

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15

Marilyn Monroe

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Real name: Norma Jean Mortenson

Marilyn legally changed her name back in 1956. She changed it after studio executive Ben Lyon suggested she go with something that popped better as a stage name.

16

Whoopi Goldberg

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Real name: Caryn Elaine Johnson

Apparently, Whoopi got her stage name after her co-workers at a job prior to fame noticed she had gas issues and nicknamed her "Whoopie Cushion."

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17

Olivia Wilde

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Real name: Olivia Jane Cockburn

Olivia chose to change her last name from Cockburn to Wilde. Why? She was inspired by author Oscar Wilde after she starred in one of his plays in high school.

18

Rita Wilson

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Real name: Margarita Ibrahimoff

The actress's father, originally from Greece, moved to the U.S. in 1960 and changed his name to Allan Wilson. That's when a young Margarita started going by Rita, and took on Wilson as her last name as well.

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19

Jennifer Aniston

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Real name: Jennifer Linn Anastassakis

This one wasn't Jen's fault. Her father, soap star John Aniston, actually changed their family's name, Anastassakis, to get more work.

20

Miley Cyrus

2019 MTV Video Music Awards - Roaming Show
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Real name: Destiny Hope Cyrus

She changed her first name to Miley in 2008 because her nickname was "Smiley" when she was younger. Not a bad nickname for a Disney kid, I must say!

Headshot of Isadora Baum

Isadora Baum is a freelance writer, certified health coach, and author of 5-Minute Energy. She can't resist a good sample, a margarita, a new HIIT class, or an easy laugh. Learn more about her on her website: isadorabaum.com

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