50 Celebrities Who Have Famous Fake Names -

There are many reasons that people will change their names. Some will do this legally and some simply by donning and using a new moniker. Maybe they just dislike their name, or have divorced and feel its time for a change. Most often people will change their name when trying to make it in the entertainment business, to something shorter, catchier and more appealing.

Whatever the reason, people do it all the time, especially celebrities. You might not ever have heard of Maurice Micklewhite, Olivia Jane Cockburn or even Diane Hall…but you surely know who Michael Caine (Micklewhite), Olivia Wilde (Cockburn) and Diane Keaton (Hall) are and these were the names with which each one was born. When the Hollywood system began, people commonly took what was a simplified version of their real names to make them easier to remember and to say. Doris Day is much simpler than Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff and Clayton Holmes Grissom chose Clay Aiken because, well its more easily memorable. Reading the lists of real names I can totally understand why many celebrities changed their names. After you have a look at some of these, you too will clearly comprehend why each of them decided to become someone else.

50. Meg Ryan Born: Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra

49. Snoop Lion (Dogg) Born: Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr.

48. Tiger Woods Born: Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods

47. Whoopi Goldberg Born: Caryn Elaine Johnson

46. LL Cool J Born: James Todd Smith

45. Queen Latifah Born: Dana Elaine Owens

44. Stevie Wonder Born: Stevland Hardaway Morris ... yes Stevland

43. Chuck Norris Born: Carlos Ray Norris

42. Rachel Zoe Born: Rachel Zoe Rosenzweig

41. Marilyn Monroe Born: Norma Jeane Mortenson

40. Carmen Electra Born: Tara Leigh Patrick. Fun fact: It was singer Prince who chose the name, reportedly saying that she looked like a "Carmen."

39. Alan Alda Born: Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo

38. Spike Lee Born: Shelton Jackson Lee

37. Chevy Chase Born: Cornelius Crane Chase

36. Courtney Love Born: Courtney Michelle Harrison

35. Ne-Yo Born: Shaffer Chimere Smith

34. Kat Von D Born: Katherine von Drachenberg

33. Dr. Seuss Born: Theodor Seuss Geisel

32. Tina Turner Born: Anna Mae Bullock

31. Bret Michaels Born: Bret Michael Sychak

30. Miley Cyrus Born: Destiny Hope Cyrus

29. Marilyn Manson Born: Brian Hugh Warner

28. Gene Simmons Born: Chaim Weitz

27. Jackie Chan Born Chan Kong-sang

26. Roman Polanski Born: Rajmund Roman Thierry Polański

25. Bruno Mars Born: Peter Gene Hernandez

24. Ricky Martin Born: Enrique Jose Martin Morales

23. Portia De Rossi Born: Amanda Lee Rogers

22. Carrot Top Born: Scott Thompson

21. Harry Houdini Born: Erik Weisz

20. Vin Diesel Born: Mark Vincent

19. Shania Twain Born: Eilleen Regina Edwards

18. Brad Pitt Born: William Bradley Pitt

17. Yves St. Laurent Born: Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent

16. Marc Anthony Born: Marco Antonio Muñiz

15. Judy Blume Born: Judith Sussman

14. Sting Born: Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner

13. Billie Holiday Born: Eleanora Fagan

12. Kirk Douglas Born: Issur Danielovitch

11. Mickey Rourke Born: Philip Andre Rourke Jr

10. Vanilla Ice Born: Robert Matthew Van Winkle

9. Sigourney Weaver Born: Susan Alexandra Weaver

8. Jamie Foxx Born: Eric Marlon Bishop

7. Alan Thicke Born: Alan Willis Jeffrey

6. Winona Ryder Born: Winona Laura Horowitz

5. Busta Rhymes Born: Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr.

4. Sir Elton John Born: Reginald Kenneth Dwight

3. Elvis Costello Born: Declan Patrick MacManus

2. Joaquin Phoenix Born: River Joaquín Rafael Bottom

1. Larry King Born: Lawrence Harvey Zeiger

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