Real Celebrity Names

My students are in a small unit on names right now, and we've been looking at different names and name-calling, etc. Today we went over star names and why they would change them to fit the public image.

Check out some celebrity names that have been changed. They're pretty interesting.

Alice Cooper - Vincent Damon Furnier
Anna Nicole Smith - Vickie Lynn Hogan
Axl Rose - William Bailey
Beck - Bek David Campbell
Bob Dylan - Robert Allen Zimmerman
Bono - Paul Hewson
Carmen Electra - Tara Patrick
Charlie Sheen - Carlos Irwin Estevez
Chuck Norris - Carlos Ray
Demi Moore - Demetria Gene Guynes
Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) - Edward Louis Severson III
Eminem - Marshall Bruce Mathers III
Eric Clapton - Eric Clapp
Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) - Michael Peter Balzary
Gene Wilder - Jerome Silberman
George Orwell - Eric Blair
Gloria Estefan - Gloria Fajardo
Harry Houdini - Erich Weiss
Hulk Hogan - Terry Bollea
Jack White (White Stripes) - John Anthony Gillis
Jamie Foxx - Eric Bishop
Jay-Z - Shawn Carter
Jennifer Aniston - Jennifer Anastassakis
Judy Garland - Frances Gumm
Kid Rock Robert - James Ritchie
LL Cool J - James Todd Smith III
Lou Reed - Louis Firbank
Marilyn Manson - Brian Warner
Marilyn Monroe - Norma Baker
Mark Twain - Samuel Longhorne Clemens
MC Hammer - Stanley Kirk Burrell
Meg Ryan - Margaret Hyra
Mel Gibson - Columcille Gibson
Michael Caine - Maurice Micklewhite
Moby - Richard Melville Hall
Muhammad Ali - Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.
Natalie Portman - Natalie Hershlag
Nicolas Cage - Nicolas Coppola
Ozzy Osbourne - John Osbourne
Paul McCartney - James Paul McCartney
Ralph Lauren - Ralph Lipschitz
Ricky Martin - Enrique Morales
Ringo Starr - Richard Starkey
Seal - Sealhenry Samuel
Snoop Doggy Dogg - Calvin Broadus
The Edge - David Evans
Tiger Woods - Eldrick Woods
Tina Turner - Anna Bullock
Tom Cruise - Thomas Cruise Mapother IV
Vanilla Ice - Robert Van Winkle
Vin Diesel - Mark Vincent
Whoopi Goldberg - Caryn Johnson
Woody Allen - Allen Konigsberg

Check out more names here for music and here for movie star names.

What do you think of these changes? Any other good ones you know?