With all the celebrity news outlets (guilty!) and the various social media profiles belonging to the rich and famous, we ordinary citizens like to think we know a reasonable amount of information about the A-listers of our time. From secret affairs to Starbucks coffee orders, as well as
most
celebrity pregnancies (ahem,
), there's not much that goes above our prying noses.
Except, well... their true identities. It turns out that a
lot
of celebrities have ditched their real names in favour of something that's more memorable or easier to remember.
Most of the time, as was the case with
, actors choose to change their names to make them easier to read and recognise. Exotic-sounding names are often changed so the person isn't subject to stereotyping (Bruno Mars), and at other times it comes down to a personal preference to go with their childhood nickname (
) or middle name (
).
Many celebs adopt monikers simply to sound cooler (I'm looking at you, Iggy Azalea) and as a way to let their performer personality become more closely associated with their off-screen or off-stage persona.
For Lana Del Rey, changing her name was the result of a failed album she released under her real name. She picked herself up and got back into the game by rebranding herself, name and all.
But let's get into it. Here are 17 celebrities whose real names would be completely unfamiliar to you.
Real name: Milena Markovna Kunis
[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BOxoli0htlp/?taken-by=_mila_kunis__]]
Real name: Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson
[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/Be3ZYvRFM25/?taken-by=katyperry]]
Real name: Destiny Hope Cyrus
[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/Beg_zqKh0xy/?taken-by=mileycyrus]]
Real name: Emily Jean Stone
[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BWCtYbZhPmT/?taken-by=emmastone_official_]]
Real name: William Bradley Pitt
[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/_M1_RPwOl2/?taken-by=bradpittoficial]]
Real name: Jacques Webster
[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BXv0untlXbG/?taken-by=kyandtravis]]
Real name: Jelena Noura Hadid
[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbvh8oFAeIT/?taken-by=gigihadid]]
Real name: Rachel Meghan Markle
Real name: Peter Gene Hernandez
[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/Be0x9w0hX-s/?taken-by=brunomars]]
Real name: Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon
[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/Bc-U7BCBL4Q/?taken-by=reesewitherspoon]]
Real name: Onika Tanya Maraj
[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BdDnfXUhlkv/?taken-by=nickiminaj]]
Real name: Adam Richard Wiles
[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BZr490bnTND/?taken-by=calvinharris]]
Real name: Elizabeth Woolridge Grant
[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/Behe4VCh666/?taken-by=lanadelrey]]
Real name: Jennifer Linn Anastassakis
[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BT4ztnfDdYL/?taken-by=jennifer.aniston___]]
Real name: Eleanor Nancy Gow
[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BeIb5EIl_Ah/?taken-by=ellemacphersonofficial]]
Real name: Reginald Kenneth Dwight
[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/Beu06pTnraR/?taken-by=eltonjohn]]
Real name: Amethyst Amelia Kelly
[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/Be4FRr0nHeG/?taken-by=thenewclassic]]
Who else is seeing the A-list crowd with totally different eyes now?
