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The secret real names of your favourite celebrities

What's in a name? - by Jessica Chandra
  • 11 Feb 2021

When you become so accustomed to a celebrity by their stage name, it's funny and weird when you hear them referred to by their real name.

WATCH BELOW: The most common celebrity names that are pronounced wrong

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Or when they suddenly decide they're dropping their pseudonyms, which is what happened when Chet Faker announced he was going to release music under his real, very normal name, Nicholas Murphy. (Doesn't quite have the same ring to it, does it?)

Here are more stars with real names you may not have known or may have forgotten.

maisie

Maisie Williams

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Maisie Williams

Maisie Williams' real name is Margaret Constance Williams.

Rihanna

Rihanna

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Rihanna

Rihanna's real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty.

alicia

Alicia Keys

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Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys was born Alicia Augello Cook.

gigi

Gigi Hadid

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Gigi Hadid

Gigi Hadid's real name is Jelena Noura Hadid.

,egha

Meghan Marke

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Meghan Markle

Meghan Markle's real name is Rachel Meghan Markle.

lorde

Lorde

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Lorde

Lorde's real name is Ella Yelich-O'Connor.

Emma

Emma Stone

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Emma Stone

Emma Stone's real name is Emily Jean Stone.

om

Sasha and Malia Obama

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Sasha Obama

Sasha Obama's real name is Natasha Obama.

Harry

Prince Harry

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Prince Harry 

Prince Harry's birth name is Henry Charles Albert David, and his official royal title is His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales. In the U.K., Harry is considered a nickname for Henry.

l

Blake Lively

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Blake Lively

Blake Lively's real name is Blake Ellender Brown.

chet

Chet Faker

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Chet Faker

Chet Faker's real name is Nicholas Murphy.

n

Natalie Portman

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Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman's real name is Natalie Hershlag.

r

Reese Witherspoon

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Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon's real name is Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon.

oprah

Oprah Winfrey

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Oprah Winfrey 

Oprah Winfrey was born Orpah (not 'Oprah') Winfrey.

ell

Elle Fanning

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Elle Fanning

Elle Fanning's real name is Mary Elle Fanning.

d

Dakota Fanning

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Dakota Fanning

Dakota Fanning's real name is Hannah Dakota Fanning.

d

Drake

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Drake

Drake's real name is Aubrey Drake Graham.

rose

Rose Byrne

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Rose Byrne

Rose Byrne's real name is Mary Rose Byrne.

iggy

Iggy Azalea

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Iggy Azalea

Iggy Azalea's real name is Amethyst Amelia Kelly.

Katy

Katy Perry

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Katy Perry 

Katy Perry's real name is Katheryn Hudson.

b

Bella Hadid

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Bella Hadid

Bella Hadid's real name is Isabella Khair Hadid.

miley

Miley Cyrus

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Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus' real name is Destiny Hope Cyrus.

Pink

Pink

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Pink 

Pink's real name is Alecia Moore.

Tina

Tina Fey

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Tina Fey 

Tina Fey's real name is Elizabeth Stamatina Fey.

John

John Legend

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John Legend

John Legend's real name is John Stephens.

carmen

Carmen Electra

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Carmen Electra 

Carmen Electra's real name is Tara Leigh Patrick.

Lucy

Lucy Hale

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Lucy Hale

Lucy Hale's real name is Karen Lucille Hale.

Nicki

Nicki Minaj

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Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj's real name is Onika Tanya Maraj.

vin

Vin Diesel

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Vin Diesel

Vin Diesel's real name is Mark Sinclair.

Olivia

Olivia Wilde

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Olivia Wilde 

Olivia Wilde's real name is Olivia Cockburn.

Lea

Lea Michele

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Lea Michele

Lea Michele's real name is Lea Michele Sarfati.

Lana

Lana Del Rey

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Lana Del Rey 

Lana Del Rey's real name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant.

Ludacris

Ludacris

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Ludacris

Ludacris' real name is Christopher Brian Bridges.

lady

Lady Gaga

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Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga's real name is Stefani Germanotta.

Mara

Rooney Mara

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Rooney Mara

Rooney Mara's real name is Patricia Rooney Mara.

fox

Jamie Foxx

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Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx's real name is Eric Marlon Bishop.

Bruno

Bruno Mars

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Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars' real name is Peter Gene Hernandez.

Maclemore

Macklemore

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Macklemore

Macklemore's real name is Ben Haggerty.

Frank

Frank Ocean

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Frank Ocean

Frank Ocean's real name is Christopher Francis "Frank" Ocean.

Kit

Kit Harington

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Kit Harington

Kit Harington's real name is Christopher Harington.

Mila

Mila Kunis

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Mila Kunis

Mila Kunis' real name is Milena Markovna Mila Kunis.

Chance

Chance the Rapper

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Chance the Rapper

Chance the Rapper's real name is Chancelor Bennett.

Moore

Julianne Moore

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Julianne Moore

Julianne Moore's real name is Julie Anne Smith.

Elton

Elton John

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Elton John 

Elton John's real name is Reginald Kenneth Dwight.

hanson

Isaac Hanson, Taylor Hanson and Zac Hanson

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Taylor, Jordan and Isaac Hanson

Taylor Hanson's real name is Jordan Taylor Hanson, and Isaac Hanson's real name is Clarke Isaac Hanson. Zac Hanson has used his real name this whole time.

fllume

Flume

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Flume

Flume's real name is Harley Streten.

calvin

Calvin Harris

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Calvin Harris

Calvin Harris' real name is Adam Wiles.

jay

Jay Z

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Jay Z

Jay Z's real name is Shawn Carter.

Ashton

Ashton Kutcher

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Ashton Kutcher

Ashton Kutcher's real name is Christopher Ashton Kutcher.

Getty

Snoop Dogg

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Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg's real name is Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr.

Brad

Brad Pitt

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Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt's real name is William Bradley Pitt.

bull

Pitbull

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Pitbull

Pitbull's real name is Armando Christian Pérez.

This story was originally published on our sister site, Elle Australia. 

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