Random Silliest Celebrity Name Changes (27 items)

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  (#1) Engelbert Humperdinck

  • 82

  Seriously? That's not your real name? You chose that? Born Arnold George Dorsey, the singer went by Gerry Dorsey professionally for a while and then changed his name in 1967 and did a career re-launch.
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  (#2) Prince

  • Dec. at 57 (1958-2016)

  Born Prince Rogers Nelson in Minneapolis, Minnesota, pop singer Prince made perhaps the biggest splash when he changed his name to an unpronounceable love symbol in 1993. The gimmick, during which he was often referred to as "the artist formerly known as Prince," lasted only a few years with the artist returning to the stage name of Prince in 2000.
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  (#3) Metta World Peace

  • 39

  The Los Angeles Lakers forward and former "Dancing with the Stars" contestant formerly known as Ron Artest legally changed his name to Metta World Peace in September 2011. The NBA star later explained that Chad Ochocinco inspired the change and that "changing my name was meant to inspire and bring youth together all around the world."
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  (#4) Chad Ochocinco

  • 37

  NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson legally changed his name to Chad Ochocinco, a poor Spanish translation of his jersey number, 85, in 2008. He previously used the name Ochocinco on his Cincinnati Bengals jersey, which earned him a fine from the league but once the name change was legal, the NFL was forced to use his new moniker.
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  (#5) Ol' Dirty Bastard

  • Dec. at 36 (1968-2004)

  After first adopting the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard, or simple ODB, the late Wu-Tang Clan rapper born Russell Tyrone Jones grew tired of his unflattering stage name in 1998. Just after announcing his solo career, he also announced a name change to "Big Baby Jesus." He managed to crank out three solo albums in between jail stints before passing away from a drug overdose in 2004.
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  (#6) Sean Combs

  • 49

  Taking the title for the most silly name changes, Sean John Combs, an influential rapper, singer, producer, actor, and entrepreneur, has gone through a long list of stage names during his career. Puff Daddy, a title he used early in his rap career, changed to P. Diddy, which was then shortened to simply Diddy. With the March 2014 announce of an upcoming album, he decided to revert back to his old name, Puff Daddy, a name he hasn't used since 1997.

  He also goes by Sean Combs professionally and gave his clothing line another moniker, Sean John.
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  (#7) Vanilla Ice

  • 51

  Robert Van Winkle. Somehow the name, "Vanilla Ice" was supposed to make him cool.
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  (#8) Eminem

  • 46

  The Detroit rapper known as Eminem or Slim Shady was actually born Marshall Bruce Mathers III. After first going by the moniker M&M (yes, like the candy), the rapper eventually changed his stage name to Eminem and went on to become one of the most influential rappers of the 1990s and 2000s.
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  (#9) Whoopi Goldberg

  • 63

  Born Caryn Elaine Johnson in 1955, the actress and "The View" co-host was less than shy about her bodily functions: "If you get a little gassy, you've got to let it go. So people used to say to me, 'You're like a whoopee cushion.' And that's where the name came from." Whoopi's mother thought that a Jewish surname would get her further in Hollywood.
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  (#10) Kid Rock

  • 48

  Robert James "Bob" Ritchie is the birth name of the musician now known around the world as Kid Rock. Ritchie earned the title of Kid Rock early in his musical career when he was working as a DJ for parties outside of Detroit, Michigan, and people would reportedly comment something along the lines of "hey, look at that white kid rock."
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  (#11) Captain Sensible

  • 64

  Born Ray Burns. Captain Sensible was the founding bass player, and later the guitar player, for groundbreaking UK punk band the Damned, the first punks to record, to chart, and to tour the US. He played with the band, often wearing a tutu, a nurse's uniform, or nothing, from 1976 until 1984, when he started his solo career.
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  (#12) Dido

  • 47

  Ok, she had to change her name to be in show business. Florian Cloud De Bounevialle Armstrong is her birth name! Dido though?
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  (#13) Conway Twitty

  • Dec. at 60 (1933-1993)

  Born Harold Lloyd Jenkins. Decided that he wanted the Twitty!
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  (#14) Ice-T

  • 61

  Tracy Morrow. That is a name and not a beverage.
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  (#15) Mark Duper

  • 60

  Decades before the likes of Chad Ochocinco and Metta World Peace were changing their name, one Miami Dolphins player formerly known as Mark Kirby Dupas was doing it. The wide receiver changed his name first to Mark Duper then Mark Super Duper in the 1980s early in his NFL career.
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  (#16) Lisa Bonet

  • 51

  Former "The Cosby Show" and "A Different World" actress Lisa Bonet shocked fans in the early 1990s when she decided to change her professional name to Lilakoi Moon. However, she continued to use the name Lisa Bonet in subsequent acting credits, which only confused things further.
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  (#17) Lady Gaga

  • 32

  Before getting her big break in pop music, Lady Gaga was known as Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta from New York City. The stage name reportedly was inspired by a text message auto-correct in which music producer Rob Fusari meant to type "Radio Ga Ga," after the Queen song of the same title, though the exact origin of the name Lady Gaga is disputed.
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  (#18) Ice Cube

  • 49

  As he ages, he sure looks a lot more like an O'Shea Jackson.
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  (#19) 50 Cent

  • 43

  Curtis Jackson too normal sounding?
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  (#20) Vin Diesel

  • 51

  Actor Vin Diesel is among many celebrities who changed their name before becoming a mainstream celebrity. The former Mark Sinclair Vincent became Vin Diesel while working as a nightclub bouncer. He later told Conan O'Brien that the name Diesel came from his friends, who compared his energy level to the stinky automotive fuel.
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  (#21) Sinéad O'Connor

  • 52

  In 2018, controversial singer Sinéad O' Connor announced her first tour in four years. Fans were surprised, however, to see the show billed as "Sinéad O'Connor aka Magda Davitt." In 2017, she told Dr. Phil she would be assuming the name during an interview. However, she didn't give any explicit reasons as to why. 
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  (#22) Cat Stevens

  • 70

  Originally Steven Demetre Georgiou, Islam first changed his name to the better known Cat Stevens, after his then girlfriend told him that he had eyes like a cat. However, after he nearly drowned in 1976 off the coast of California, he had a religious epiphany, converting to Islam and changed his name to Yusuf Islam. Yusuf, or Jacob in English, was just a name that he liked. 
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  (#23) Sugar Ray Robinson

  • Dec. at 68 (1921-1989)

  Born Walker Smith, Jr, Robinson decided to change his name when some girl ringside said that he looked as sweet as sugar after an amateur bout and he liked the nickname. He picked up the Ray Robinson after showing up to an amateur fight without the required official identity card and he borrowed his friend's, named Ray Robinson. "Sugar Ray Robinson had a nice ring to it," he said, "Sugar Walker Smith wouldn't have been the same."
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  (#24) Dwayne Johnson

  • 46

  Former NCAA Football player turned WWE wrestler turned actor, Dwayne Johnson went by the stage name The Rock early in his career. He swore off the title when he took up acting, but after appearing in movies such as "The Other Guys" and "Tooth Fairy," Johnson returned to professional wrestling career and his nickname again in 2011.
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  (#25) Rikki Rockett

  • 57

  Born Former Richard Allan Ream. Hairdresser, lifeguard, emergency medical technician, model, and school teacher, but is best known as the drummer from Poison.
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  (#26) Kiki Dee

  • 71

  Born Pauline Matthews.

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