Check out this amazing list of celebrities who don’t actually use their real names! (4 of 8)

Frank Ocean

Birth name: Christopher Edwin Breaux

The famous musician, Frank Ocean, was actually given the birth name Edwin Breaux. However, he felt the name wasn’t apt and cool enough for a musician. And it was then that he decided to change his name on his birthday one year. He revealed in a 2011 interview that he went straight to LegalZoom and made the change straight away, and admits that he felt cool after that.

Helen Mirren

Birth name: Ilyena Lydia Mironoff

Helen Mirren is perhaps one of the best actresses this world has ever seen. However, what most people don’t know about her is that her birth name was Ilyena Lydia Mironoff. Her father then changed the surname from Mironoff to Mirren, and then Ilyena chose the first name as Helen when she decided to become an actress.

Jamie Foxx

Birth name: Eric Marlon Bishop

Jamie Foxx shared a very interesting reason behind choosing this particular stage name. He recalled that when he started out as a standup comedian, he would notice that most people were guys and rarely any girl would show up, which allowed him to get a slot quite easily. So, in order to get a spot with relative ease, he decided to go for a unisex name and as they say, the rest is history!

Julianne Moore

Birth name: Julie Anne Smith

Similar to how Emma Watson changed her first name from Emily, Julie Anne Smith got to know that Julie Anne Smith was already in the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). What surprised her even more is that there was a Julie Smith as well, so she had no other option than to change her name.

She revealed that since her father’s name was Peter Moore Smith and her mother’s name was Anne Smith, she decided to use both of their names in order to keep both of them happy!

John Legend

Birth name: John Roger Stephens

John Legend revealed in a 2008 interview that he wasn’t actually named John Legend at birth. In fact, his friends started calling him that, and he decided to use that as his stage name. He goes on to share that there came a time when he was known more by his nickname than his real name. He finally decided to take it up as stage name and we must agree, he has definitely lived up to his name.