History Main / StageNames

* The Creator/MarxBrothers (who were actually brothers, surnamed Marx): Groucho (Julius Henry), Harpo (Adolph, changed to Arthur in 1911, before Hitler), Chico (Leonard), Zeppo (Herbert Manfred) and Gummo (Milton). There are multiple stories about where their stage names derive from. In an aversion of the ethnicity camouflage motivation, while the family ''was'' Jewish, their real names were passably not. Groucho's iconic StraightMan, the refined and elegant matron Margaret Dumont, was also born with the far more prosaic name of Daisy Baker.

* Creator/AdrianPaul Hewitt, of ''Series/{{Highlander}}'' fame , dropped his last name. He takes advantage of using his real last name when traveling, to keep a lower profile.

* In ''VideoGame/CoffeeTalk Episode 2: Hibiscus and Butterfly'', Rachel goes by "Nekochel" as her stage name.

* Former professional wrestler "Killbane, the Walking Apocalypse" is the leader of the [[MaskedLuchador Luchadores]] gang in ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird''. His real name is Eddie Pryor, but [[DoNotCallMePaul please don't call him that if you enjoy being alive]].

* [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname None]] of the characters in ''VideoGame/{{Arms}}'' have known names. They're all boxers with stage names (barring non-human ones who presumably used their real names): Spring Man, Ribbon Girl, Master Mummy, Min Min, Mechanica, Ninjara, Twintelle, Kid Cobra, Max Brass, Lola Pop, Misango, and Dr. Coyle.

* ''VideoGame/NoStraightRoads'' has [[spoiler: the semi-final boss Eve whose real name is Nadia, Zuke's ex-girlfriend]].
** And later on, it has [[spoiler:the final boss, Tatiana Qwartz. Turns out that she used to be a musician, using the name "Kul Fyra"]].
* In the English-language version of ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'', the villager Totakeke had his name changed to K.K. Slider. What keeps this from being a straight DubNameChange is that, if you talk to him, he'll sometimes admit that his real name is Totakeke and K.K. Slider is just the name he goes by professionally.

* The real name of Eric Kévi, Music/{{Era}}'s founder and composer for the films ''Film/LOperationCornedBeef'', ''Film/LesVisiteurs'' and ''Guardian Angels'', is Éric Jacques Levisalles. He is not Jewish, he simply shortened his surname and added the acute accent.

* All the members of Music/{{ABBA}} had slightly altered names when they started their respective careers in the 1960s. Anni-Frid Lyngstad started calling herself Frida while performing in a jazz band, Göran Andersson called himself Benny while performing in a rock band, and Agnetha Fältskog added the H to her name to distinguish herself from another Agneta in a band she sang in. Björn's a slightly different case since his father was the one who changed his surname to Ulvaeus, because he felt Andersson was too common. (The elder Ulvaeus certainly had a point, because otherwise all the credited composers in ABBA songs would be "S. Anderson, B. Andersson, and B. Andersson", and [[strike:chaos]] {{hilarity|Ensues}} would have ensued.)

* Music/{{Rush}}: Geddy Lee was born Gary Lee Weinrib ("Geddy" comes from his mother's heavy accent), and legally changed his first name to Geddy. Alex Lifeson is really Aleksandar Živojinović ("Lifeson" is a literal English translation). Neil Peart was really Neil Peart.

* Ronald William Artest Jr. used the name Ron Artest before legally changing his name to Metta World Peace -- in part because of some religious awakening, but mostly to distance himself from his bad reputation. A couple of years after he retired from play, he changed it again to Metta Sandiford-Artest.

* Creator/AlanAlda was born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo. The Alda part is probably a portmanteau of the two first letters in his first and last names.

* The great, late Alex Trebek, longtime host of ''{{Series/Jeopardy}}'', and a household name for his work on that "answer-and-question-game," was born George Alexander Trebek in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada in 1940.

** Creator/SteveBlum (who has performed under the names Daniel Andrews, Roger Canfield, Richard Cardona, Steven Jay, David Lucas, and Andrew Watto)

** Creator/DorothyEliasFahn (Dorothy Elias, Dorothy Fahn, Midge Mayes, Dorothy Melendez, Dorothy Melendrez, Jacky Morris, Annie Pastrano, and Johanna Luis).

** Both Creator/DanGreen and Creator/WayneGrayson appear in ''Literature/{{Slayers}} NEXT'' (among other anime) as James Snider and Vinnie Penna, respectively. In the case of Dan Green, his real name actually is James "Jay" Snyder, but he often prefers to use the more familiar stage name of Green in dubbing.

* Creator/KevinMichaelRichardson [[http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/not_comics_my_brother_whit_interviews_voice_actor_kevin_michael_richardson/ always wanted to voice the character of]] ComicBook/{{Cyborg}}. He's not yet been regularly cast in the role (though he did get to fill in for Khary Payton when the latter was unavailable for one of the ''New Teen Titans'' segments), but he has used the character's real name, "Victor Stone", as an alias when he voiced ComicBook/{{Spawn}} and ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}''[='=]s Heihachi Mishima in ''VideoGame/{{Soul|Series}}Calibur II''.
* Latin American and Spaniard voice actors have an interesting twist on this: Unless stated otherwise, most of them use their second first name and their first (maternal) or second (paternal) name of their last name. As an example, Mexican voice actor Luis Eduardo Garza Escudero ([[Manga/DragonBall Krillin]] and [[Manga/{{Bleach}} Ichigo]]) goes credited as only Creator/EduardoGarza. Unlike Japanese and American voice actors, they rarely use stage names for hiding their identities in non-union or risky works ([[ValuesDissonance as it's considered a rather stupid thing there, since everyone will end up recognizing your voice anyways]])[[note]]Just to get an idea how much this trope doesn't always apply when dubbing erotic or outright porn stuff, Mexican and many Latin American voice actors had no problem on dubbing stuff on their real names, or stage ones when applicable, that would put an American or Japanese voice actor into serious problems with either their fans, their agencies or their own unions, like ''The Qwaser of Stigmata'', ''Bible Black'' and ''Eternity: Shin'ya no Nure Koi-chan Neru'', the latter two are both outright {{Hentai}}, and by first one is a TV series which no voice acting studio in either the States or ''any'' western country wants to touch.[[/note]] and and when they do, it's mostly because they like to use that name for other reasons unrelated with their work or maybe because their fans and friends prefer to call them by those names instead:

** Alfredo Gabriel Basurto ([[Manga/InuYasha Sesshoumaru]]) is either credited with his first name, or as his middle name. This caused many fans to think both names referred to two unrelated voice actors with the same last name.

* Much like Spanish-speaking dubbers, Brazilian voice actors often have two given names and two surnames. They often go by two first names (Peterson Adriano [de Souza Lima Crispim]), or one first name and one surname (Flora Paulita [Martins]).

** Fernanda Fernandes used to go by the first surname (her sister used the second, Flávia Saddy), until she found out another actress with that RepetitiveName, hence taking [[NomDeMom her grandma's surname]] and becoming Fernanda Baronne.

* French voice actor Boris Trouillard is better known by his stage name "Creator/BorisRehlinger". "Trouillard" means "coward/wimp/chicken in the face of fear", so it's understandable why he would use a stage name. His son, Kylian, is also known by both last names.
** Creator/RogerCarel was born as Roger Bancharel.
** Marie-Martine was born as Marie Vergracht.

* ''Anime/DokiDokiPrettyCure'': Makoto is more known by her stage name "[=MakoP=]" than by her actual human name.

** Both Creator/DanGreen and Creator/WayneGrayson appear in ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}} NEXT'' (among other anime) as James Snider and Vinnie Penna, respectively. In the case of Dan Green, his real name actually is James "Jay" Snyder, but he often prefers to use the more familiar stage name of Green in dubbing.

[[folder:Light Novels]]
* In ''[[LightNovel/{{No6}} No. 6]]'' one of the main characters goes by "Nezumi" ("Rat" in English). The other protagonist, Shion, doesn't know if this is his real name or not so when they meet someone who calls him "[[GenderBlenderName Eve]]" he asks if this is his real name. In fact, no, Eve is his stage name. Shion later finds out that the reason he goes by "Eve" is because he plays women on stage.
* In ''LightNovel/DateALive'' Miku Izayoi used to use the stage name "Tsukino Yoimachi" in her previous stint as an IdolSinger. In the present, she uses her real name instead.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]

** Creator/NanaMizuki's real name is Nana Kondou, while her younger sister Mika Kondou performs under the name MiKA.

* Fairly common in the world of [[ElectronicDanceMusic EDM]] and related genres, though maybe not ''quite'' as much as rap:

*** Wrestlers who were stars in other sports often use their real names in pro wrestling, such as MMA fighters Wrestling/KenShamrock, Wrestling/DanSevern and Creator/RondaRousey, Olympic powerlifter Wrestling/MarkHenry, and Olympic wrestler Wrestling/KurtAngle.
*** Because WWE regularly trademarks its performers' ring names, it's not unheard of for former WWE performers to use their real names in other promotions. For example, Wrestling/JackSwagger uses his real name of Jake Hager in AEW. Even the co-TropeNamer for DoNotCallMePaul, Wrestling/BigShow, goes by his real name of Paul Wight as an AEW commentator and occasional wrestler.

* Wrestling/TrishStratus was born Patricia Anne Stratigeas and adopted 'Stratus' when she became a model. She did, however, keep the name intact when she became a wrestler - probably because she had something of a pre-existing fanbase with it.

* Wrestling/BeckyLynch has always competed under her first name (or a nickname derived from it) but has rotated through differing surnames. In fact, her first ring name was just Becky. She achieved fame on the indies as Rebecca Knox but changed to Lynch when she was signed to WWE. She also considered Daly for wordplay potential.

* {{Wrestling/Aliyah}} is interesting because she went by her indies ring name while in developmental before getting her official WWE name. Talent usually just go by their legal name in that interim process, but she (legal name Nhooph Al-Areebi) went by Jasmin, part of the name she went by on the indies (Jasmin Areebi).
* {{Wrestling/Paige}} has an especially interesting story; her legal name Saraya is actually her ''mother'''s ring name (and her legal name is Julia), and she only got it from mishearing 'Slayer' at a concert in the 80s while high. On the indies, she went by Britani Knight, which her mother also picked, as Britani was an anagram of Britain. She herself hated it though, and was happy to change it to Paige in WWE, naming herself after Creator/RoseMcGowan's character in ''{{Series/Charmed 1998}}''. Notably the film ''Film/FightingWithMyFamily'' never mentions her Britani Knight indies name.

* Many one-named musicians who appear to be examples but are actually aversions: Music/{{Madonna}} (born Madonna Louise Ciccone), Music/{{Beyonce}} (Beyoncé Giselle Knowles), Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch), Music/{{Seal}} (born Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel), Taco (full name Taco Ockerse), Music/{{Usher}} (full name Usher Raymond IV), and Music/{{Bjork}} (full name Björk Guðmundsdóttir).[[note]]Björk's use of her first name is rooted in her native Icelandic culture. The country's standard naming system does not have family names, instead using one or more given names plus a patronymic (or sometimes a matronymic).[[/note]] Music/{{Cher}}, on the other hand, is short for Cherilyn.

* British actress Lucinda St Clair - legal name Lucy Richardson - went by that name professionally to avoid confusion with comedian Lucy Beaumont, who is married to Jon Richardson. On becoming an agent, she now goes by her legal name.

* When Jason Geiger came to a talent agency in California, they thought his name wasn't strong enough for an actor and created with him another inspired by [[Series/TheSixMillionDollarMan Steve Austin]]: Austin St. John. And the rationale became HilariousInHindsight given the breakout role St. John got was [[Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers Red Ranger]] [[TheDanza Jason Lee Scott]].