Natalie Portman was born Natalie Hershlag, but adopted a different surname early in her acting career. The change was partly about privacy, creating a clear boundary between her professional life and her family. Using Portman, her grandmother’s maiden name, also made her name easier to place and remember as she moved into Hollywood roles at a young age. | © Harper's Bazaar UK / YouTube
Doja Cat was born Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, but chose a stage name that felt playful rather than formal. Doja came from her longtime affection for cannabis culture, while Cat reflected an online persona she leaned into during her early internet years. The name wasn’t meant to smooth anything out for the industry, just to match the offbeat energy that helped her stand out. | © Doja Cat / YouTube
Winona Ryder was born Winona Laura Horowitz, but early in her career she shortened her surname for simplicity. Ryder was easier to pronounce, easier to remember, and fit more smoothly into Hollywood credits and casting conversations. The change wasn’t about hiding her background, just choosing a name that wouldn’t distract from the work once she started landing roles. | © 20th Century Studios
Jamie Foxx was born Eric Marlon Bishop, but adopted a stage name while breaking into stand-up comedy. Jamie sounded gender-neutral, which helped him get stage time at open mics, and Foxx was a nod to the comedian Redd Foxx, whom he admired. The name followed him naturally as his career grew from comedy clubs into television, film, and music. | © The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon / YouTube
Bad Bunny was born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, but his stage name came from personality rather than strategy. Bad Bunny grew out of a childhood photo in a bunny costume paired with a very un-bunny-like scowl, a contrast he found funny and fitting years later. Instead of simplifying his identity, the name leaned into something playful and unforgettable, crossing cultures without smoothing any edges. | © The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Oscar Isaac was born Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada, but shortened his professional name early on for clarity rather than reinvention. Dropping the double surname made his name easier to remember, credit, and pronounce in an industry that often stumbles over long family names. The change kept his given names intact, shaping a clean stage identity without distancing him from his background. | © Samuel Goldwyn Films
Calvin Harris was born Adam Richard Wiles, but chose a stage name early on as he tried to break through in electronic music. Calvin Harris sounded neutral and flexible, avoiding assumptions about background or genre at a time when first impressions mattered. It was less about reinvention and more about creating a workable identity for the industry, one he still treats as separate from who he is offstage. | © iHeartRadio / YouTube
Ricky Martin was born Enrique Martín Morales, a name deeply tied to his heritage and early career in Latin pop. As he prepared to cross over into global markets, Ricky Martin offered something simpler, catchier, and easy to recognize across languages. The change wasn’t about leaving anything behind, just choosing a name that could travel as far as his music did. | © TheEllenShow / YouTube
Christina Milian was born Christina Marie Flores, but early in her career, her surname began working against her in casting rooms. Industry gatekeepers struggled to place her based on name and appearance, often boxing her into narrow categories that limited opportunities. Adopting her mother’s maiden name, Milian, helped sidestep that bias and opened doors without distancing her from her Afro-Cuban roots. | © Warner Bros. TV
Marc Anthony was born Marco Antonio Muñiz, a name already shared with a famous Mexican singer. As he built his own career, shifting to Marc Anthony helped avoid confusion while keeping the spirit of his given name intact. The change made his identity clearer to wide audiences without distancing him from his cultural roots. | © Marc Anthony / YouTube
Pitbull was born Armando Christian Pérez, but chose a stage name that reflected attitude rather than ancestry. Pitbull captured the stubborn, relentless energy he associated with his own hustle, shaped by growing up in Miami and pushing for recognition. The name stuck because it felt less like a disguise and more like a statement of how he wanted to move through the industry. | © The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon / YouTube
Bruno Mars was born Peter Gene Hernandez, but Bruno had been his nickname since childhood, given by his father. When he started chasing a music career, adding Mars gave the name extra lift and helped him sidestep industry pigeonholing tied to his surname. The result sounded playful, memorable, and a little larger than life, which fit the kind of performer he was becoming. | © TheEllenShow
Cardi B was born Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, but her stage name grew out of a nickname she already had in her Bronx neighborhood. Friends called her Bacardi, which she naturally shortened to Cardi as her public persona started to take shape. The result was a name that felt personal, easy to remember, and perfectly tuned to the bold, unapologetic energy she brought into music. | © Call Her Daddy / YouTube
Becky G was born Rebbeca Marie Gomez, but shortened her name early on as she started chasing music seriously. Becky G was easier to remember, quicker to say, and fit naturally into pop and hip-hop spaces where first impressions matter. The change wasn’t about distancing herself from her roots, just finding a name that worked smoothly as her career began to take shape. | © Jay Shetty Podcast / YouTube
Pedro Pascal was born José Pedro Balmaceda Pascal, but early in his career, he chose to work only under his mother’s surname instead. The decision was deeply personal, made after her death, and served as a quiet tribute rather than a branding move. There was also a practical side to it, since Balmaceda proved difficult for English-speaking casting rooms, making Pascal easier to live with as his career began to grow. | © HBO
Some celebrities didn’t change their names to erase where they came from. They did it to navigate an industry built on shortcuts, assumptions, and first impressions. These name changes weren’t about hiding identity, but about finding space to be seen.
