https://www.instagram.com/p/BdLBARdDIsp/?taken-by=badgalriri
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https://www.instagram.com/p/Barsr4SHbpD/?taken-by=calvinharris
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https://www.instagram.com/p/BcKQyEaAMFr/?taken-by=themeghanmarkle
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A lot can go into a name unless of course you’re a celebrity and can change it once you’ve become famous. Before they had that kind of power though, let’s take a look at these stars before they were able to make a new name for themselves.
1. Rihanna
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdTHtAhjNFV/?taken-by=badgalriri
Robyn Rihanna Fenty dropped her first name and has been using her middle name professionally since her start in 2003. The singer recently launched her rapidly successfully cosmetics line and used her last name as the company’s namesake.
2. Gigi Hadid
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdwT3fCg9ao/?taken-by=gigihadid
The supermodel we’ve seen all over the runways, in magazines and trotting around town with beau Zayn Malik was actually born Jelena Hadid. We love the name Jelena but think Gigi rolls off the tongue much easier.
3. Drake
https://www.instagram.com/p/BeB5sQbjzeb/?taken-by=champagnepapi
Aubrey Drake Graham stole our hearts on Degrassi many years ago. Since his departure from the small screen, Graham goes professionally by Drake. Either way though, we still love him.
4. Cardi B
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd0eV3uBLd6/?taken-by=iamcardib
Cardi B may live her best life now, but the “regular, degular, shmegular girl from the Bronx” was actually born Belcalis Almanzar. Cardi B is actually the rapper’s third name change which at one time went by BaCardi.
5. Calvin Harris
https://www.instagram.com/p/BanTu92nBPz/?taken-by=calvinharris
Who knew that Scottish DJ Calvin Harris was actually born Adam Richard Wiles. When Harris was once questioned as to why he did the name switch he claimed to have wanted to go by a name that was racially ambiguous.
6. Gucci Mane
https://www.instagram.com/p/BeBBrqfjmGs/?taken-by=laflare1017
The designer-obsessed rapper whose real name is Radric Delantic Davis went for something a bit more catchy when he chose his stage name.
7. Iggy Azalea
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdvESr1ns2R/?taken-by=thenewclassic
As much as Iggy Azalea’s name got our attention, we were kinda wondering what made Azalea ditch her birth name, Amethyst Amelia Kelly. This gem of a name matches Azalea’s gorgeous good looks so it definitely would have fit, but we totally understand that the singer wanted to switch things up professionally.
8. Bruno Mars
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bb2dnX8Bf9v/?taken-by=brunomars
Bruno Mars may be giving us countless songs to get our groove on and dance to, but the Haiwaiin born Mars was actually born Peter Gene Hernandez. We would like Mars no matter what his name was, but we’d much rather get down to the jams Bruno Mars delivers rather than Peter.
9. Meghan Markle
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcBTNflAFKz/?taken-by=themeghanmarkle
The bride-to-be was actually born Rachel Meghan Markle and used her middle name professionally since joining the entertainment industry. Of course, once she marries Prince Harry almost anything will sound good once you put “Duchess” in front of it.
10. Nicki Minaj
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdDtnwih9cj/?taken-by=nickiminaj
Nicki Minaj may be one of today’s top-selling rappers, but Onika Tanya Maraj is the name of the Trinidadian native. Nicki left the West Indies when she was still young and set up base in Queens until her career finally took off in 2010.
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