Gigi Hadid was born Jelena Noura Hadid. At first mother Yolanda Foster called her Gigi at home. The name stuck in first or second grade when her teacher asked her mum if there’s a nickname to call her, as there was another girl names Helena.
All you feminists out there might want to look up to Blake Lively’s dad who chose to break tradition by taking his wife’s name. However his daughter was born with his last name as Blake Ellender Brown.
John Legend’s real name is John Roger Stephens and has J. Ivy to thank for his very memorable stage name. He said to John, “You sound like one of the legends. As a matter of fact, that’s what I’m going to call you from now on! I’m going to call you John Legend.”
Would you be intimidated by the name Mark Sinclair Vincent? Yeah, Vin Diesel clearly didn’t think so either hence changing his name.
Can anyone even imagine Drake as not being Drake? Well there was once a time when he went by his real name Aubrey Graham. Imagine hearing on the radio, “…and up next is Hotline Bling by… Aubrey.”
Rather than choosing “DJ A-Dog” or “DJ Wilesy”, a man who was once known as Adam Wiles decided to go for something a little more normal when he became Calvin Harris.
Bruno Mars once went by the name Peter Hernandez. His dad nicknamed him Bruno because as a chubby baby he resembled the wrestler Bruno Sammartino. Once he decided to make it his stage name, he added Mars because he’s ‘out of this world.’
I think we were all hoping that Lady Gaga’s parents weren’t actually crazy enough to name her Lady. Luckily we were right, she was born Stephanie Joanne Angelina Germanotta and after a typo from her producer said ‘Lady Gaga’ instead of ‘Radio Gaga’ was the start to her new name.
You know that thing how you to work out your stripper name you get your pet’s name and street you live on? Well that’s exactly what Iggy Azalea did. She was actually born Amethyst Amelia Kelly.
Lana Del Ray’s parents gave her the name Elizabeth Wooldridge Grant but on changing her name she said, “I wanted a name I could shape the music towards. Lana Del Ray reminded us of the glamour of the seaside. It sounded gorgeous coming off the tip of the tongue.”
Good girl gone bad Miley Cyrus was named Destiny Hope Cyrus. Her parents said she was a happy baby and nicknamed Smiley, which was shortened to Miley.
Olivia Wilde was born Olivia Jane Cockburn but we’re assuming she wanted something with a bit more sex appeal.
Tyga the Rack City singer and Kylie Jenner’s boyfriend’s name is an acronym for Thank You God Always. He was born Michael Ray Nguyen-Stevenson.
