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17 Celebrities Who Don't Use Their Real Names

2 June 2017, 17:31 | Updated: 2 June 2017, 18:01

By Hollie Borland

Here's a round up of celebs who go by a stage name - and we've revealed their REAL names!

You may say: 'what's in a name?' However, according to these stars, apparently it's everything because these celebrities ditched their monickers from the ones their parent's chose for them to one that suits their career in showbiz.

Did you know that Natalie Portman's name isn't the one she was given at birth? And Brad Pitt hasn't always been known as that? And Liam Neeson doesn't use his real name...

1. Katy Perry

Real name: Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson
Why: To avoid being mistaken for the actress Kate Hudson, the Firework singer adopted her mum's maiden name.

2. Elton John

Real name: Reginald Kenneth Dwight

3. John Legend

Real name: John Roger Stephens

Why: Beats us!

4. Aaron Paul

Real name: Aaron Paul Stutevant

Why: People in the industry struggled to pronounce the Breaking Bad actor's surname.

5. Bruno Mars

Real name: Peter Gene Hernandez

Why: He was afraid that people would stereotype his career as a Latin singer if people used his real name.

6. Miley Cyrus

Real name: Destiny Hope Cyrus

Why: As a child, her parents always nicknamed her 'Smiley Miley' and the name stuck.

7. Nicolas Cage

Real name: Nicolas Kim Coppola

Why: He didn't want to be known for being the nephew of Godfather director, Francis Ford Coppola.

8. Michael Caine

Real name: Maurice Joseph Micklewhite

Why: It's a bit of a mouthful, no?

9. Alicia Keys

Real name: Alicia Augello Cook

10. Jamie Foxx

Real name: Eric Marlon Bishop

Why: He wanted a gender neutral name which he believed would help him in his standup comedy career.

11. Vin Diesel

Real name: Mark Sinclair Vincent

Why: He believed his stage name is much more intimidating.

12. Natalie Portman

Real name: Natalie Hershlag

Why: The Star Wars actress adopted her Grandmother's name in order to separate her work from her private life.

13. Liam Neeson

Real name: William John Neeson

14. Helen Mirren

Real name: Ilyena Lydia Mironoff

Why: Her Russian father anglicised the family name in the 1950s and Helen was deemed easier for the public to understand.

15. Brad Pitt

Real name: William Bradley Pitt

Why: Well, there are already a few William Pitts in the history books.

16. Tina Fey

Real name: Elizabeth Stamatina Fey

17. Lana Del Rey

Real name: Elizabeth Woolridge Grant

Why: She's said: "I wanted a name I could shape the music towards. Lana Del Rey reminded us of the glamour of the seaside. It sounded gorgeous coming off the tip of the tongue."