Famous Real Names
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Adams, Maude = Maude Kiskadden
Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem = Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor
Alain-Fournier = Henri-Alban Fournier
Aleichem, Sholem = Sholem Yakov Rabinowitz
Ali, Muhammad = Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.
Allen, Woody = Allen Stewart Konigsberg
Allyson, June = Ella Geisman
Andrews, Julie = Julia Elizabeth Wells
Ann-Margret = Ann Margret Olsson
Apollinaire, Guillame = Guillaume Apollinaire de Kostrowitsky
Arnaz, Desi = Desidero Albert Arnaz de Acha III
Astaire, Fred = Frederick Austerlitz
Bacall, Lauren = Betty Joan Perske
Bachman, Richard (nom de plume) = Stephen King
Bakst, Leon Nikolaevich = Lev Samoylovich Rosenberg
Balanchine, George = Georgi Melitonovich Balanchivadze
Banky, Vilma = Vilma Lonchit
Bara, Theda = Theodosia Goodman
Baraka, Amiri = Everett LeRoi Jones
Bardot, Brigitte = Camille Javal
Basho = Matsuo Basho/Matsuo Munefusa
Beiderbecke, Bix = Leon Bismarck
Ben-Gurion, David = David Gruen
Benatar, Pat = Patricia Andrzejewski
Bennett, Tony = Antonio Dominic Benedetto
Benny, Jack = Benjamin Kubelsky
Berkeley, Busby = William Berkeley Enos
Berlin, Irving = Israel Baline
Bernhardt, Sarah = Henriette-Rosine Bernard
Big Bopper = Jiles Perry Richardson
Billy the Kid = William H. Bonney
Blondin, Charles = Jean Francois Gravelet
Bly, Nellie = Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman
Bogarde, Dirk = Derek Niven van den Bogaerde
Borge, Victor = Borge Rosenbaum
Botticelli, Sandro = Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi
Bowie, David = David Robert Jones
Boy George = George Alan O'Dowd
Brandt, Willy = Herbert Ernest Karl Frahm
Bronson, Charles = Charles Bunchinsky
Brooks, Albert = Albert Einstein
Brooks, Mel = Melvin Kaminsky
Buffalo Bill = William F. Cody
Burgess, Anthony = John Anthony Burgess Wilson
Burns, George = Nathan Birnbaum
Burton, Richard = Richard Walter Jenkins
Caesar = Gaius Julius Caesar
Cage, Nicolas = Nicholas Coppola
Caine, Michael = Maurice Joseph Micklewhite
Calamity Jane = Martha Jane Canary (Burke)
Callas, Maria = Maria Anna Sofia Cecilia Kalogeropoulos
Canaletto, Antonio = Giovanni Antonio Canal
Capote, Truman = Truman Streckfus Persons
Carr, Vikki = Florencia Bisenta de Carillas Martinez Cardona
Carroll, Lewis = Charles Lutwidge Dodgson
Castagno, Andrea del = Andrea di Bartolo de Bargilla
Charles, Ray = Ray Charles Robinson
Checker, Chubby = Ernest Evans
Cher = Cherilyn Sarkisian
Christo = Christo Javacheff
Clair, Rene = Rene-Lucien Chomette
Cliburn, Van = Harvey Lavan Cliburn, Jr.
Cline, Patsy = Virginia Patterson Hensley
Conrad, Joseph = Jozef Teodor Konrad Nalecz Korzeniowski
Cooper, Alice = Vincent Furnier
Copperfield, David = David Kotkin
Corregio = Antonio Allegri
Costello, Elvis = Declan Patrick MacManus
Crawford, Joan = Lucille Fay Le Sueur
Crawford, Michael = Michael Dumble-Smith
Crosby, Bing = Harry Lillis Crosby
Cruise, Tom = Thomas Mapother IV
Curtis, Tony = Bernard Schwartz
Damone, Vic = Vito Rocco Farinola
Dangerfield, Rodney = Jacob Cohen
Danza, Tony = Anthony Iadanza
Darin, Bobby = Walden Robert Cassotto
Davis, Bette = Ruth Elizabeth Davis
Day, Doris = Doris Mary Anne von Kappelhoff
de Valois, Ninette = Edris Stannus
Dean, James = James Byron
Denver, John = John Henry Deutschendorf
De Vito, Danny = Daniel Michaeli
Diddley, Bo = Ellas Bates McDaniel
Dinesen, Isak = Karen Blixen
Dolin, Anton = Patrick Healey-Kay
Domenichino = Domenico Zampieri
Dors, Diana = Diana Fluck
Douglas, Kirk = Issur Danielovitch, later Isidore Demsky
Douglas, Melvyn = Melvyn Edouard Hesselberg
Duras, Marguerite (nom de plume) = Marguerite Donnadieu
Dylan, Bob = Robert Allen Zimmerman
Edwards, Blake = William Blake McEdwards
Eliot, George (nom de plume) = Mary Ann Evans
Eluard, Paul = Eugène Grindel
Emin Pasha, Mehmed = Eduard Schnitzer
Erté = Romain de Tirtoff
Fairbanks, Douglas, Sr. = Douglas Elton Ulman
Field, Sally = Sally Mahoney
Fields, W. C. = William Claude Dukenfield
Flynn, Errol = Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn
Fontaine, Joan = Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland
Fonteyn, Margot = Margaret Hookham
Ford, Gerald R. = Leslie Lynch King, Jr.
Ford, John = Sean Aloysius O'Feeney
Foster, Jodi = Alicia Christian Foster
France, Anatole = Jacques Anatole François Thibault
Gabin, Jean = Jean-Alexis Moncorgé
Gabo, Naum = Naum Neemia Pevsner
Garbo, Greta = Greta Lovisa Gustafsson
Gardenia, Vincent = Vincent Scognamiglio
Garfield, John = Julius Garfinkle
Garland, Judy = Frances Gumm
Garner, James = James Scott Baumgarner
Gayle, Crystal = Brenda Gayle Webb
Gaynor, Mitzi = Francesca Mitzi Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber
Ghirlandaio, Domenico = Domenico di Tommaso Bigordi
Gish, Lillian = Lillian de Guiche
Giulio Romano = Giulio Pippi de Giannuzzi
Goddard, Paulette = Marion Goddard Levy
Goldberg, Whoopi = Caryn Johnson
Goldwyn, Samuel = Shmuel Gelbfisz (Samuel Goldfish)
Gorky, Maksim = Aleksei Maksimovich Peshkov
Gorky, Arshile = Vosdanig Manoug Adoian
Granger, Stewart = James Lablache Stewart
Grant, Cary = Archibald Alexander Leach
Grayson, Kathryn = Zelma Kathryn Hedrick
Gris, Juan = Jose Vittoriano Gonzalez
Hall, Radclyffe = Marguerite Radclyffe Hall
Harlow, Jean = Harlean Carpenter
Harrison, Rex = Reginald Carey Harrison
Harvey, Laurence = Laurushka Misha Skikne
Hayworth, Rita = Margarita Carmen Cansino
Henry, O. = William Henry Porter
Herod Agrippa I = Marcus Julius Agrippa
Herzog, Werner = Werner Stipetic
Heston, Charlton = John Charles Carter
Ho Chi Minh = Nguyen Tat Thanh
Holden, William = William Franklin Beedle, Jr.
Holiday, Billie = Eleanora Fagan
Holliday, Judy = Judith Tuvim
Hope, Bob = Leslie Townes Hope
Houdini, Harry = Erich Weiss
Larry, Moe, Curly (earlier Shemp): The Three Stooges = Louis Feinberg, Moses Horwitz, Jerome Horwitz (earlier Samuel Horwitz)
Howlin' Wolf = Chester Arthur Burnett
Hudson, Rock = Roy Scherer
Humperdinck, Engelbert = Arnold George Dorsey
Irving, Henry = John Henry Brodribb Irving
Jillian, Ann = Ann Jura Nauseda
John, Elton = Reginald Kenneth Dwight
Jolson, Al = Asa Yoelson
Jones, Jennifer = Phylis Isley
Jones, Tom = Thomas Jones Woodward
Karloff, Boris = William Henry Platt
Kaye, Danny = David Daniel Kominski
Kazan, Elia = Elia Kazanjoglous
Keaton, Diane = Diane Hall
Keaton, Michael = Michael Douglas
Kenyatta, Jomo = Kamau wa Ngengi
Kingsley, Ben = Krishna Banji
Kinski, Nastassja = Nastassja Naksyznyski
Lamour, Dorothy = Mary Kaumeyer
Landon, Michael = Eugene Orowitz
Langtry, Lillie = Emilie Charlotte le Breton
Lanza, Mario = Alfred Arnold Coccozza
Laurel and Hardy = Arthur Stanley Jefferson and Norvell Hardy
Lauren, Ralph = Ralph Lipschitz
Leadbelly = Huddie William Ledbetter
Le Carré, John = David John Moore Cornwell
Le Corbusier = Charles-Edouard Jeanneret
Lee, Bruce = Lee Yuen Kam
Lee, Peggy = Norma Deloris Engstrom
Leigh, Janet = Jeanette Helen Morrison
Leigh, Vivien = Vivian Mary Hartley
Lely, Peter = Pieter van der Faes
Lemmon, Jack = John Uhler Lemmon III
Lenin, Vladimir Ilich = Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov
Lenya, Lotte = Karoline Wilhelmine Blamauer
Lewis, Jerry = Joseph Levitch
Little Richard = Richard Wayne Penniman
Lombard, Carole = Jane Alice Peters
Loren, Sophia = Sofia Scicolone
Lorre, Peter = Lazlo Lowenstein
Louis, Joe = Joseph Louis Barrow
Lu Xun = Chon Shu-jeu
Lugosi, Bela = Bela Ferenc Denzso Blasko
Lully, Jean Baptiste = Giovanni Battista Lulli
Lulu = Marie McDonald McLaughlin
Mabuse, Jan = Jan Gossaert
Mackenzie, Compton = Edward Montague Compton Mackenzie
MacLaine, Shirley = Shirley MacLean Beaty
Mack, Connie = Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy
MacPherson, Elle = Eleanor Gow
Madonna = Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone
Malcolm X = Malcolm Little
Malden, Karl = Mladen Sukulevich
Manilow, Barry = Barry Alan Pinkus
Mansfield, Katherine = Kathleen Beauchamp
Mansfield, Jayne = Vera Jayne Palmer
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus = Marcus Annius Verus
Marguerite of Navarre = Marguerite D'Angouleme
Marshall, Penny = Penny Marscharelli
Martin, Dean = Dino Paul Crocetti
Markova, Alicia = Lilian Alicia Marks
Massine, Léonide = Leonid Fiodorovich Miassin
Mata Hari = Margaretha Geertruida Zelle
Matthau, Walter = Walter Matuschanskavasky
Maurois, André = Emile Salomon Wilhelm Herzog
Mayer, Louis B(urt) = Eliezer Mayer
McBain, Ed = Evan Hunter
Meat Loaf = Marvin Lee Adair
Melba, Nellie = Helen Porter Mitchell
Meyerbeer, Giacomo = Jakob Liebmann Meyer Beer
Mfume, Kweisi = Frizzell Gray
Michael, George = Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou
Miranda, Carmen = Maria de Carmo Miranda da Cunha
Mishima Yukio = Kimitake Hiraoka
Mitchell, Joni = Roberta Joan Anderson
Molière = Jean-Baptiste Poquelin
Molotov, Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich = Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich Skriabin
Monroe, Marilyn = Norma Jean Mortenson
Montand, Yves = Ivo Livi
Montez, Lola = Marie Dolores Eliza Rosanna Gilbert
Moore, Demi = Demetria Guynes
Moravia, Alberto = Alberto Pincherle
Morton, Jelly Roll = Ferdinand Joseph La Menthe
Mr. T = Lawrence Tureaud
Muddy Waters = McKinley Morganfield
Muni, Paul = Muni Weisenfreund
Murnau, F. W. = Friedrich Wilhelm Plumpe
Muybridge, Eadweard = Edward James Muggeridge
Nero = Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus
Neruda, Pablo = Neftali Ricardo Reyes y Basoatto
Nerval, Gérard de = Gérard Labrunie
Ne Win = Maung Shu Maung
Nichols, Mike = Michael Igor Peschkowsky
Nilsson, Harry = Harry Edward Nelson III
Nolde, Emil = Emil Hansen
Novalis = Friedrich Leopold von Hardenberg
Novello, Ivor = David Ivor Davies
O'Casey, Sean = John Casey
Ophüls, Max = Max Oppenheimer
Ormandy, Eugene = Jenö Ormandy Blau
Orwell, George = Eric Arthur Blair
Paracelsus = Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim
Palance, Jack = Walter Jack Palahniuk
Paul, Les = Lester William Polfus
Pelé = Edson Arantes do Nascimento
Piaf, Edith = Edith Giovanna Gassion
Pickford, Mary = Gladys Mary Smith
Pol Pot = Saloth Sar
Pressburger, Emeric = Imre Jozef Pressburger
Prince = Prince Rogers Nelson
Ramakrishna = Gadadhar Chatterji
Rambert, Marie = Miriam Rambach
Rand, Ayn = Alice Rosenbaum
Ray, Man = Emmanuel Rabinovich Rudnitsky
Ray, Nicholas = Raymond Nicholas Kienzle
Reuter, (Paul) Julius de, Baron Reuter = Israel Beer Josaphat
Rice, Elmer = Elmer Reizenstein
Richard, Cliff = Harry Roger Webb
Rivers, Joan = Joan Sandra Molinsky
Robinson, Edward G. = Emmanuel Goldenberg
Robinson, Sugar Ray = Walker Smith
Rogers, Ginger = Virginia Katherine McMath
Rogers, Roy = Leonard Slye
Rohmer, Eric = Jean-Marie Maurice Scherer
Rooney, Mickey = Joe Yule, Jr.
Rothko, Mark = Marcus Rothkovich
Sand, George (nom de plume) = Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin
Sargon II = Sarru-Kinu
Schneider, Romy = Rosemarie Albach-Retty
Sennett, Mack = Michael Sinnott
Seymour, Jane = Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg
Sharif, Omar = Michael Chalhoub
Shaw, Artie = Arthur Arshawsky
Sheen, Charlie = Carlos Irwin Estevez
Sheen, Martin = Ramon Estevez
Sills, Beverly = Belle Miriam Silverman
Stalin, Joseph = Josif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili
Stanley, Henry Morton = John Rowlands
Stanwyck, Barbara = Ruby Stevens
Starr, Belle = Myra Belle Shirley
Starr, Ringo = Richard Starkey
Stendahl = Marie-Henri Beyle
Sting = Gordon Sumner
Stroheim, Erich von = Erich Oswald Stroheim
Swanson, Gloria = Gloria Josephine Mae Svensson
Tati, Jacques = Jacques Tatischeff
Terry-Thomas = Thomas Terry Hoar Stevens
Thomas, Danny = Muzyad Yakhoop, later Amos Jacobs
Tiny Tim = Herbert Buckingham Khaury
Tito = Josip Broz
Tokyo Rose = Iva Ikiko Toguri D'Aquino
Toto = Antonio de Curtis Gagliardi Ducas Commeno di Bisanzio
Turé, Kwame = Carmichael, Stokely
Trotsky, Leon = Lev Davidovich Bronstein
Truth, Sojourner = Isabella Baumfree
Turner, Lana = Julia Jean Mildred Frances Turner
Turner, Tina = Annie Mae Bullock
Twain, Mark (nom de plume) = Samuel Langhorne Clemens
Twiggy = Lesley Hornby
Uccello, Paolo = Paolo di Dono
Valentino, Rudolph = Rodolfo Alfonzo Raffaele Pierre Philbert Gugliemi
Van Damme, Jean-Claude = Jean-Claude Van Varenbeerg
Voltaire = François-Marie Arouet
Walcott, Jersey Joe = Arnold Raymond Cream
Wall, Max = Maxwell George Lorimer
Ward, Artemus = Charles Farrar Browne
Warhol, Andy = Andrew Warhola
Wayne, John = Marion Michael Morrison
Webb, Clifton = Webb Parmallee Hollenbeck
Welch, Raquel = Raquel Tejada
Werner, Oskar = Oskar Josef Bschliessmayer
Wertmuller, Lina = Arcangela Felice Assunta Wertmuller von Elgg
West, Nathanael = Nathan Wallenstein Weinstein
West, Rebecca = Cicily Isabel Fairfield Andrews
Wilder, Gene = Jerry Silberman
Williams, Tennessee = Thomas Lanier Williams
Winters, Shelley = Shirley Schrift
Wonder, Stevie = Steveland Judkins Morris
Wood, Natalie = Natasha Gurdin
Wyman, Jane = Sarah Jane Fulks
Wyndham, John = John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris
Yourcenar, Marguerite = Marguerite de Crayencour