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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