These Celebrities Don't Actually Use Their Real Names

Some celebrities change their name in order to make it in the industry, some change it due to familial reasons, and some just don't like their name to begin with. Find out which of your favorite stars have actually been using a moniker this whole time. 

Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe was actually born Norma Jeane Mortenson. She's had several different names throughout her life, but the story of how she chose "Marilyn" as her stage name didn't come until later. She was born with the last name Mortenson, baptized as Baker, and married into Dougherty.

Infamous Stage Name

Time magazine reported that Norma Jeane scrapped "Dougherty" because studio executives believed people would pronounce it too many different ways and needed something simpler. She suggested the last name "Monroe" from her mother's side of the family. An exec then deemed her "Marilyn" because he reminded her of 1920s Broadway star Marilyn Miller.

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The More You Know

  • Growing up, Katy Perry wasn't allowed to eat Lucky Charms cereal because luck was "linked to the devil." Her family also called deviled eggs "angeled eggs."
  • Jon Bon Jovi's birth name is John Bongiovi Jr.
  • Before she was a megastar, Madonna worked at Dunkin Donuts. She got fired for squirting jelly on a customer.
  • A far cry from her upper-class role on Gossip Girl, Leighton Meester was born in prison; her mother was serving time for smuggling drugs.
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Post originally appeared on Upbeat News.