Celebrity Name Changers: Here's celebs who changed their names, NOPE! That's Not Their Real Name...

Nicki Minaj

Onika Tanya Maraj: No, Nicki Minaj isn't her real name. But  she already had the nickname Nicki (short for Onika) when her manager at the time suggested she change her last name to Minaj.



Shay Mitchell

Shannon Ashley Mitchell: The Pretty Little Liars star was born Shannon, but "I would get uncomfortable saying my name to all these different people and these guys," she told OK! magazine. "I wanted a barrier, if you will, and so I thought if I were to change my name, especially when I was at work, that would separate me from who I really was. It sounds weird and crazy, but I just started going by Shay."

Miley Cyrus


Destiny Hope Cyrus: Miley was born Destiny Hope Cyrus (that sounds more like the stage name) and as a kid, she got the nickname "Smiley," which she shortened to Miley. In 2008, she legally changed her name to Miley Ray Cyrus.

Katy Perry


Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson: Katy released a Christian gospel album under the name of Katy Hudson when she was 16, but Goldie Hawn's daughter, actress Kate Hudson, was already on the scene. So Katy decided to change her last name to her mother's maiden name, Perry, to avoid confusion.


Lorde


Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor: The 17-year-old singer explained her stage name in Interview magazine: “Lorde is a character. My friends actually find that really difficult to digest, separating me from the theatrical character they see on stage [laughs]; but they’re getting used to it. When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought ‘Lord’ was super rad, but really masculine—ever 
since I was a little kid, I have been really into royals and aristocracy. So to make Lord more feminine, I just put an ‘e’ on the end! Some people think it’s religious, but it’s not.”

Pitbull


Armando Christian Pérez: The Miami native chose  his stage name because a pit bull "bites to lock," he explains. "The dog is too stupid to lose. And they're outlawed in Dade County. They're basically everything that I am. It's been a constant fight."

Jay-Z


Shawn Corey Carter: When Jay was growing up, he was known as "Jazzy." He went with the name Jay-Z to honor his mentor, rapper and producer Jaz-O, as well as the J/Z subway line of Brooklyn, which is Jay's hometown.

Rihanna


Robyn Rihanna Fenty: Riri's real name is Robyn, but the Barbardian singer opted for just her middle name as her stage name. We can't imagine it any other way.


Ne-Yo


Shaffer Chimere Smith: Ne-Yo got his new name in 2004 from a producer named Big D. It's actually a reference to Neo, the lead character in the Matrix films.

Jamie Foxx

14/29Eric Marlon Bishop: When he started performing at open mic nights in 1989, the female comedians were usually called onstage before the guys. Running out of patience, Eric chose the name Jamie because of its gender ambiguity. He then added Foxx to pay tribute to Redd Foxx, one of his favorite performers.


Emma Stone


Emily Jean Stone: Why such a small change? "Emily Stone" was already taken at the Screen Actors Guild by a girl on Australia's Next Top Model when Emma was 16.

Portia De Rossi


Amanda Lee Rogers: When she was 15, Amanda legally changed her name to Portia de Rossi. "Portia" comes from the heroine in Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice. She chose "de Rossi" because of its exotic sound.

Bruno Mars


Peter Gene Hernandez: It's hard to imagine anything holding him back, but the singing sensation changed his name because he didn't want to be stereotyped or limited to performing Latin and Spanish music. Bruno was a childhood nickname.

Matthew, Nathan, Jared And Caleb Followill (Kings Of Leon)


Cameron, Ivan, Michael and Anthony Followill: Just like the Fanning sisters, these brothers and cousin (Matthew) use their middle names when it comes to their music.
..what's your own name?....