32 Celebrities With Stage Names Reveal Their Real Names

Celebrities are very popular people who are considered "well-known," but honestly, that phrase can be used loosely because they aren't actually well-known. In many cases, these celebrities seem to keep some aspects of their lives private or simply haven't discussed certain things.

One thing that many celebrities, actors, and other well-known stars have in common is that they typically use a stage name or another name that isn't technically on their birth certificates. In many of these cases, people who have stage names only use that name for their work, and it's what their fans call them.

In real life, however, these celebrities are called by different names, and they're known by something else. Often, celebrities do this for privacy reasons or simply to separate their work from their home lives, which can be difficult at times.

We're going to go through 32 different celebrities who have stage names, and we'll see what their real names are. Some of these might be surprising, while others may not be as shocking, but all of them are definitely interesting.

1. Jason Sudeikis

Jason confirmed that his real name is actually Daniel Jason Sudeikis, after his father. However, following some confusion, his mother started calling him by his middle name, Jason.

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2. Shania Twain

Shania Twain is just a stage name for Shania's real name, which is Eilleen Regina Edwards. Later, she became Eilleen Regina Twain once she was adopted, and that's where her famous "Twain" last name came from.

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3. Cardi B

Cardi B is a famous name that we know, but her real legal name is Belcalis Almanzar. She took on the name Bacardi from friends and family, which is where Cardi B came from.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images for iHeartMedia

4. Gigi Hadid

Gigi Hadid's real name is actually Jelena Noura Hadid. She got her stage name from school when her teacher would confuse her with someone named Helena, and her mom calls her "Gigi" as a nickname.

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5. Vin Diesel

Mark Vincent is Vin Diesel's real name, which kind of makes sense.

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6. Meghan Markle

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, does not usually go by the name Meghan. Before becoming a Duchess, her name was Rachel Meghan Markle.

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7. Miley Cyrus

A lot of us might actually know this one, but Miley's real name is Destiny Hope Cyrus. Her nickname came from her smile, and she was called "Smiley," which eventually became Miley.

Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shutterstock

8. Bruno Mars

His dad started calling him Bruno, but his real name is actually Peter Gene Hernandez.

Kevin Mazur/WireImage

9. Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga is definitely a stage name, and many of us knew that. However, what a lot of us didn't know is that her real name is Stefani Germanotta.

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10. Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon chose "Reese" as a moniker in honor of her mother. Reese's full real name is Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon.Jim Smeal/REX/Shutterstock

11. Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey is actually what she calls her "alter ego," while her real name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant.

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12. Frank Ocean

Frank Ocean is a well-known singer, but his real name is Christopher Edwin Breaux. However, in 2014, he legally changed his name to Frank Ocean.

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13. Tina Fey

The comedian Tina Fey is actually named Elizabeth Stamatina Fey.

Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

14. Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg is another typical and obvious stage name, but you might be surprised to know that his real name is Calvin Broadus.Jason Merritt/Getty Images

15. Lorde

Lorde is a singer who is actually into aristocracy, which makes sense as to why she chose the name Lorde. Her real name is actually Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor.Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

16. Ricky Martin

Ricky Martin wanted an everyday name to go by, but his real legal name is Enrique Morales.Laura Cavanaugh/Getty Images

17. Iggy Azalea

Iggy Azalea was born Amethyst Kelly, which is actually a beautiful name.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

18. Calvin Harris

Calvin Harris is actually not an obvious stage name, so a lot of people had no idea this wasn't his real name. His legal name is actually Adam Richard Wiles, and he says he chose the stage name because he wanted it to be a bit more "racially ambiguous."

Matt Baron/REX/Shutterstock

19. Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston isn't that wild of a name, but it still isn't her real name. Jennifer actually goes by Jennifer Anastassakis.Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images

20. Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys' name fits her musical profession, but her real name is actually Alicia Augello Cook.

Jason Merritt/Getty Images

21. Tom Cruise

Basically, before Tom Cruise became Tom Cruise, he was known as Thomas Mapother IV.

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22. Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman's real name isn't far off from what we all know her as. She goes by Natalie Hershlag.

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23. Portia De Rossi

Portia De Rossi, who is married to Ellen DeGeneres, is actually known as Amanda Lee Rogers.

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24. Elton John

Elton John's real name is Reginald Dwight, but he felt that this name wouldn't resonate with the audience.

John Shearer/Invision for Academy of Television Arts & Sciences/AP Images

25. Nicole Richie

Nicole Richie isn't a Richie after all. Her legal name is actually Nicole Camilla Escovedo.

Jeff Vespa/WireImage

26. Bono

This one is kind of a given that it's a stage name. Bono's real name is actually Paul Hewson, and Bono was a high school nickname.

Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

27. Carmen Electra

Carmen's real name is Tara Patrick, but we can all agree that Carmen sounds much more badass.

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28. Jamie Foxx

Many people might not even know that Jamie Foxx's name is a stage name, but his real name is Eric Bishop. I'd say he looks both like a Jamie and an Eric.

Paul A. Hebert/WireImage

29. Demi Moore

Demi Moore came up with this name once she was in the public eye of Hollywood, but her actual name is Demetria Gene Guynes. I wonder where she got Demi Moore from.

Courtesy Getty Images/DVF

30. Jay-Z

Many people know that Jay-Z's name isn't actually Jay-Z; it is, in fact, Shawn Carter, which is why their family is the Carter family.

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31. Marilyn Manson

Marilyn Manson's name definitely gives off a stage name persona. This famous singer's real name is actually Brian Warner.

Greetsia Tent/Getty Images

32. Tiger Woods

I mean, who would've thought that Tiger Woods wasn't his real name? Tiger Woods was previously known as Eldrick Woods before he became a famous golfer in the public eye.Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/MCT/Sipa USA

This has really proven that many people probably go by stage names, even if the name we know them by doesn't seem like a stage name. A lot of these celebrities have names that are quite different from what we know them as.

This definitely proves that we don't know celebrities as well as we think we do.