The Real Names Of Famous Celebrities - Music And Film

There is not a day that goes by nowadays where we do not hear about a celebrity - in fact we hear about many of them each and every day. Sometimes the news is interesting to be enthusiastic about it, but a lot of the time you can tell the story is a lot of rubbish, or you just think " do we really care?" At the moment, I keep reading about celebrities and then it will say " ....., real name ...... " There are some celebrities who's names you do kind of know are not their real names, whereas on the other hand some are really hard to tell the difference. I've been rummaging around and have found the real names of famous celebrities that are either in music or film. I have divided them into these two categories for easier reading. Of course there are others, but this hub is concentrating on just singers, or actors/actresses.

It is extremely common for musicians to change their birth name to a stage name when starting out as a performer. Many of today's singers do not go by their birth names, and many stars from decades ago did exactly the same thing. It is done to either fit in with the type of music they are making, or because they feel their birth name is not "right" for what they want to achieve. On the opposite note, some are encouraged to do so by their record company. Below is a list of famous musician celebrities, with their stage name on the left, and their real name on the right.

• Jay Z - Shawn Carter

• Shania Twain - Eileen Regina Edwards

• Shakira - Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll

• Katy Perry - Katy Hudson

• Madonna - Madonna Louisse Ciccone

• Bjork - Bjork Gudmundsdottir

• Fatboy Slim - Quentin Norman Cook

• Vanilla Ice - Robert Van Winkle

• Busta Rhymes - Trevor Smith

• Rihanna - Robyn Rihanna Fenty

• Snoop Dogg - Cordazer Calvin Broadus

• Elton John -Reginald Kenneth Dwight

• Bono - Paul Hewson

• Elvis - Declan McManus

• George Michael - Georgios Panayiotou

• Cliff Richard -Harry Webb

• Freddie Mercury - Farrokh Bulsara

• 50 Cent - Curtis Jackson

• Stevie Wonder - Steveland Judkins

Out of the musicians that I have just listed, along with their real names, I can see why some of them changed their names - because it would have sounded a bit silly, but others I think I prefer their birth names.

For example, I really like Shawn Carter instead of Jay Z. I don't know why he changed from that, because it does sound incredibly fake - like he hasn't even tried to hide the fact it's not his real name. I know in his industry, as a rapper, that it has to have some funky hardcore edge to it, but Shawn Carter could have cut the mustard. On the other hand, I am sitting here totally understanding why Vanilla Ice and Snoop Dogg felt the need for a change - now that wouldn't cut mustard!

Another of the names I am liking is Rihanna's birth name - Robyn Rihanna Fenty. It sounds very feminine and pretty. I think she could have actually kept that name and still been a success.

What I have discovered, mainly off my own back, about why actors and actresses change their names is because the acting industry is considered very up class, and ultimately snobby. Therefore if someone has an ordinary name, it will not stand out or be memorable to an audience, let alone a producer. That's why many change their names to something that has a ring to it, or is at least memorable.

• Jennifer Anniston - Jennifer Linn Anastassakis

• Bruce Lee - Lee Yuan Kam

• Michael Caine - Maurice Micklewhite

• Nicholas Cage - Nicholas Coppola

• Tom Cruise - Thomas Mapother IV

• Whoopie Goldberg - Caryn Johnson

• Barbara Windsor - Barbara-Ann Deeks

• Mel Gibson - Columcille Gibson

• David Walliams - David Williams

• Joan Rivers - Joan Sandra Molinsky

• Jackie Chan - Chan Kwong-Sung

• David Tennant - David McDonald

• Charlie Sheen - Carlos Irwin Estevez

• Anna Nicole Smith -Vickie Lynn Hogan

• Marilyn Monroe - Norma Jean (Mortenson) Baker

• Cilla Black - Priscilla White

As you can see there are some strange names out there for the celebrities we know best by their stage names. Whatever the result, I hope this has taught you something about celebrities real names, and you never know there could have even been a laugh or two along the way.