There are several reasons why celebrities -- and lay folk -- change their names. Norma Jean Baker became Marilyn Monroe, now synonymous with bombshell beauty. Now I, co-founder of BabyNames.com, present 14 celebrities who changed their names, and seven reasons why they may have done so.
- Differentiation from other celebrities. One only need to look at the Internet Movie Database to see that there are several celebrities who need disambiguation. Katy Perry was originally Katy Hudson, which was too close to actress Kate Hudson, daughter of Goldie Hawn and Bill Hudson.
So whether you are looking for a pseudonym for stardom or white collar work, keep in mind the image you want to present before putting ink to name change paper.
Dr. Mallory Moss is a board-certified nurse practitioner in psychiatry and a founding partner of BabyNames.com. Since its launch in 1996, BabyNames.com has been heralded as one of the top parenting sites on the internet. Dr. Moss' passions lay in community-based mental health and destigmatizing mental health diagnoses. Dr. Moss was also the editor of the popular online parenting advice column, "Ask Grandma Maggie."