“Famous Stars Who Aren’t Using Their Real Names – From Reese Witherspoon to Rihanna and Jon Bon Jovi”
From shortened surnames to childhood nicknames that stuck, many stars decided to reinvent themselves long before their big break in Hollywood. Changing a name has often been a key step toward shaping their public image and building a recognizable brand.
Celebrities from Rihanna to Reese Witherspoon, Jon Bon Jovi, John Legend, Lady Gaga, and even Marilyn Monroe are among the most well-recognized names in the world — yet many of them weren’t born with the names we know today.
Whether the motivation was to make their name easier to pronounce, more memorable, or simply to stand out in a competitive industry, countless A‑listers have chosen to tweak, shorten, or even completely transform their identities.
Below, discover some of the biggest stars who traded in their given names for iconic stage names that helped define their careers.
Reese Witherspoon
No one was more surprised than Jennifer Aniston to learn that Reese Witherspoon’s real first name isn’t actually Reese.
During a recent interview with LADbible, Witherspoon playfully quizzed her Friends costar, asking her to guess which of three options — Jane, Jeanne or Joan — was her true middle name. When Aniston guessed wrong, the Legally Blonde actress revealed the truth: “It’s Jeanne. That’s confusing. I’m Laura Jeanne.”
A visibly shocked Aniston responded with a laugh, “Laura Jeanne? Who’s Laura? Who the hell’s Laura?” before joking that she refused to call her friend by that name.
The Breakup star then asked how “Reese” came into the picture. Witherspoon explained that it’s actually her second middle name. “Yeah,” she said. “I’m Laura Jeanne Reese.”
The revelation had fans buzzing online, with many echoing Aniston’s disbelief that one of Hollywood’s most recognizable names wasn’t the one she was born with. It just goes to show that even A‑listers sometimes carry a little mystery in their names.
Rihanna is a household name worldwide. However, the moniker is actually the singer’s middle name. Her first name is Robyn, which her close family and friends still call her
Keke Palmer’s family nickname accidentally became her stage name, but if she had it her way, the multi-hyphenate would prefer people call her by her given name, Lauren.
“[Keke] went from being just something that my family called me to being something that the whole world called me,” she told Glamour back in 2022.
The actress revealed that her manager at the time “heard my mom call me Keke ’cause I wasn’t listening. So she was like, ‘Keke. Keke!’ ”
“And he said, ‘That’s … that should be your stage name,’ ” she recalled. “I actually don’t prefer to go by Keke instead of Lauren,” she added.
Millie Bobby Brown
Millie Bobby Brown tweaked her stage name for “s—- and giggles.”
During an interview with her The Electric State costar Chris Pratt, Brown revealed she changed her middle name as she entered show business.
“My middle name is Bonnie,” she said in a BuzzFeed UK interview, prompting Pratt to ask if her name is actually Millie Bobby Bonnie Brown.
“No. It’s no Bobby,” she said. “It’s Millie Bonnie Brown … I’ve never told anyone that.”
No, Aniston’s real name is not secretly Rachel Green — it’s Jennifer Linn Anastassakis! Her Greek father, actor John Aniston, changed the family’s last name when he went into show business.
Honoree Jon Bon Jovi attends the 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year Honoring Jon Bon Jovi during the 66th GRAMMY Awards on February 02, 2024 in Los Angeles, California
Legendary rocker Jon Bon Jovi was born John Francis Bongiovi Jr. but when looking for a name for his band, a friend suggested they go by Bon Jovi, similar to Van Halen.
Keeping with the name of his band, the musician began going professionally as Bon Jovi as well.
Ryan’s moniker might sound short and sweet, but her real name is quite a mouthful: Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra.
She began using her grandmother’s maiden name, “Ryan,” as a surname when she joined the Screen Actors Guild, Entertainment Weekly reported.
The origins of Hepburn’s true name are shrouded in mystery. Sources have disagreed on the exact birthname of the Belgian-born actress, but The New York Times reported she was born Edda van Heemstra Hepburn-Ruston.
The names Edda, Audrey (the English form of the Dutch name Edda) and Andrey (a feminine form of Andrew) can be found in different biographies, although Edda is found most frequently, according to Britannica.
Sources do agree, however, that Hepburn’s mother was the Dutch baroness Ella van Heemstra and that her British father’s surname was Ruston, though he went by the more aristocratic-sounding name Hepburn-Ruston, believing he was a descendant of Mary, Queen of Scots, the encyclopedia reports.
Vin Diesel
Apparently, the name Mark Sinclair didn’t sound tough enough for the actor when he worked as a New York City bouncer before his big break.
The action star shortened his mother’s maiden name Vincent to get his new first name. As for “Diesel,” he once revealed on Late Night with Conan O’Brien that he got the nickname from friends who said he was always full of energy.
Trinidadian-born rapper Minaj’s stage moniker is a shortened version of her real name, Onika Tanya Maraj.
He might be the only Tom Cruise in Hollywood, but not in his family! The actor’s birth name is Thomas Cruise Mapother IV. He began using his middle name as a surname at the behest of an agent.
