The Truth Behind the Stage Names of Musicians
Ever wondered if some of those crazy names on the radio are their real names or just for show? Maybe you already know the answer for some of them, but the truth about many of those famous names might surprise you.
The artists who use stage names have many reasons for choosing not to use their own names. Curious? We looked at some of the greatest musicians who use stage names and did some digging to find out the stories behind the names they chose. Take a look!
Lil Nas X
Lil Nas X achieved fame after the release of the hit Old Town Road. Obviously, that isn’t his real name. If you’re curious, his given name is Montero Lamar Hill. So, where did he come up with the stage name Lil Nas X? (It certainly seems a bit nonsensical.)
Well, his stage name is derived from an alias he previously used on the internet, Nas. He added the X for the Roman numeral in anticipation of hitting the “mogul, legendary level.” He believed it would take him about 10 years to get where he wanted to be. Boy, was he wrong!
Post Malone
There’s usually an interesting story behind everything involving Post Malone, and the origin of his stage name is no exception. He actually used one of those rap name generators on the internet to come up with it! He said in interviews that he knew he needed a name, and one of those handy generators was the best option at the time. Apparently, creativity has its limits.
He has also commented that now “he’s stuck with it,” thanks to using the generator when he was only 14. At least, it’s a pretty good name. We honestly can’t imagine him going by any other name, so it obviously suits him.
Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish is one of those names that just sounds musical and is easy to remember. The story behind her stage name isn’t as interesting as most, as it’s just an abbreviation of her real name, but it just sounds so good!
Her real name is also pretty long, so shortening it seemed like a good call. Her full name is actually Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell. With hits that just keep on coming, we are sure glad we weren’t going to have to spit that mouthful out for the next 20 years or so.
Nipsey Hussle
Sadly, Nipsey Hussle passed away in 2019 after a shooting. He was nominated for best rap performance and best rap song for Racks in the Middle at the Grammys following his untimely death, so at least his art will live on.
His real name was Ermias Asghedom, but he didn’t think that would be a good rap name. (It sounds a little nerdy, doesn’t it?) His stage name was actually given to him by a friend, who nicknamed him Nipsey Hussle to pay homage to comedian Julius “Nipsey” Russell. The name will always be remembered for his music.
Camila Cabello
Camila Cabelo, like many others, simply went with a portion of her real name to create her stage name. Her full name is Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao. She decided to use her middle name as her first name, and she has said in interviews that her stage name expresses more of her “wild side.”
When she’s Karla, she projects more of her “down-home” self. The singer added that both of the names together represent who she really is. Her stage name does seem to roll off the tongue very nicely!
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello’s music has been around for a long time, and the hits just keep on rolling in. This year, he was again nominated for a Grammy. Back in the ’70s, he decided on the name Elvis Costello in honor of the King himself, Elvis Presley. Along with his manager, they decided the name was a good fit.
Costello was inspired by his father, who had recorded music under the same last name. He has been a fixture on the music scene for years, recording upwards of 30 albums. He doesn’t seem to have any plans to slow down until the bitter end. Keep playing!
Meek Mill
Meek Mill’s real name is Robert Rihmeek Williams. He settled on the stage name Meek Mill as a partially shortened version of his real name. At first, he was called Meek Millions, but he later shortened it to simply Mill.
With hits like “Going Bad,” we get where the “millions” part of his name came from, as he’s certainly out there earning millions. Meek Mill got his first Grammy nomination this year for best rap album. His talent is giving us plenty of reasons to think it won’t be his last. Thank goodness, he has a pretty cool rap name!
Lana Del Rey
Lana Del Rey was born Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, but she decided that simply wouldn’t do if she wanted to hit it big in the music industry. She went through quite a few pseudonyms before settling on Lana Del Rey. She was once even called Rope Queen — not sure what that was about.
While on a trip with her sister, she decided she wanted a stage name that sounded exotic and reminded her of the Florida coast. After some thinking, she landed on Lana Del Rey. The name stuck and fits the singer’s unique sound perfectly! We will likely be seeing it on charts a lot this year.
Yola
Yola is the English singer whose debut album as a solo artist was nominated for a total of four Grammys! Her real name is Yolanda Quartey, so, no, her stage name was not inspired by “YOLO,” as many have speculated. (How cool would that have been?)
Instead, Yola is simply a shortened version of her real name. She went by Yola Carter for some time but ultimately wanted to use only one name. For such a talented musician, you may also find it interesting that her family banned music in the home when she was a kid. When someone has it, they have it!
Tove Lo
Singer and songwriter Tove Lo has a cute story behind her stage name. She was born Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson, but when she was 3, her grandma nicknamed her Tove Lo. Apparently, the Swedish singer was obsessed with a lynx she spotted at the zoo.
Her grandmother noticed and started calling her Tove Lo. Lo means “lynx” in Swedish. The nickname her grandmother gave her seemed to fit, and other members of the family started calling her that as well. When she decided to make a career in music, she knew it was the perfect stage name — and the rest is history.
Tyler, the Creator
Tyler Gregory Okonma knew from a young age that he was born to be a creator. His stage name, Tyler, the Creator, just sort of came naturally. He is a master of creating exceptional music, so the name was a no-brainer.
Creativity seems to just be a part of Tyler’s everyday life, and we love him for it. He has had his own record label since 2011, and he was nominated for best rap album this year. He loves creating music for fans, and we expect to see much more of his work in the future.
Macklemore
Macklemore is known for his music and his flashy style. His real name, Ben Haggerty, just doesn’t have the same pop, does it? The name didn’t seem to match his style, but, luckily, a nickname was already in the works before he became famous.
His friends used to call him Professor Macklemore because of the way he dressed. The name really stuck, but he decided that just Macklemore was better. The artist has had many hits and is beloved by fans. We couldn’t imagine calling him anything but his stage name. It fits him perfectly, just like his eclectic style.
John Legend
Last year, John Legend was voted Sexiest Man Alive, and this year, he was nominated for two Grammys. His name so perfectly fits an actual musical legend, that most people don’t know it’s not actually his birth name. He was born John Roger Stephens.
His stage name came to be when a close friend started calling him “Legend” while he was working his way up in the music industry. In interviews, he has talked about how the pressure was really on, walking around with a stage name like Legend. Thank goodness, he lived up to the hype!
Mustard
Formerly “DJ” Mustard, Mustard was nominated for a Grammy this year! His stage name actually has a pretty interesting story behind it. His real name is actually Dijon Isaiah McFarlane. Since his first name is the same as a condiment — a fancy one, no less! — he decided to just own it. Thus, Mustard was born!
He has worked on many popular songs and is just now starting to expand on a solo rap career. With the Grammy nod he got this year, we can see that it is going pretty well for him. And both his stage name and real name are both pretty cool — bonus points!
Pink
It’s hard to imagine calling Pink anything other than Pink. The name just works for her, even though she hasn’t actually sported bright pink hair in a while. Her real name is Alecia Beth Moore, and her stage name originated from two different factors.
First, she really loved the movie Reservoir Dogs and particularly loved the character Mr. Pink. Second, she was a shy kid — believe it or not! — and she would get so embarrassed at times that her face would turn a bright shade of pink. Since she had these factors in her life, she landed on the stage name Pink.
Eminem
No, Eminem’s stage name has nothing to do with the candy. At first, he did use M&M because it was the initials of his real name: Marshall Mathers. However, he worried that one day it could result in a lawsuit, so he elongated it to Eminem. Again, another stage name we couldn’t imagine being anything else.
Eminem never seems to stay quiet for long. With controversial lyrics and a huge fan base, the GOAT of the rap world is going to continue to be around a long, long time. We can’t wait to see what he does next.
Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg’s real name is actually Calvin Broadus, and the origin is actually pretty cute. When he was a kid, his parents thought he looked like Snoopy — yep, Snoopy from the comic strips!
It just stuck, and when it was time to choose a stage name, he already had one there for the taking. It worked out well, because the rapper has reached international fame, name and all. Still, it’s kind of funny that a gangster rapper’s stage name came from an adorable comic strip character.
Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie has explored a lot of creative outlets, but his claim to fame started with music. He used to be in a band called White Zombie, where he went by the name Rob Straker. It wasn’t until 1989 that he changed his name to Rob Zombie.
Both his stage name and original band name can be credited to the same source. He adored the 1932 movie White Zombie that many claim is actually the first zombie movie. He went on to create horror movies of his own, although we are all still waiting on one with zombies. Come on, Rob!
Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris’ stage name came from his desire to change people’s perception of him. His birth name is Adam Richard Wiles, and he believed the name didn’t fit his original style of music.
He wanted his name to be more “racially ambiguous,” as he said in many interviews. He landed on Calvin Harris, and it stuck. In fact, he even said that he is now permanently stuck with the name. We’re not sure if that means he regrets his choice. Whether he does or not, fans love his music either way!
Jay-Z
Jay-Z has become a household name over the past decades in the music industry. With tons of hits that seem to just keep coming, we are likely to not lose sight of the rapper anytime soon. Even with the outrageous fame of the rapper, many people probably don’t know where he got his interesting stage name.
He was born Shawn Corey Carter. When he first started doing music, he was known simply as “Jazzy.” He decided to change it to Jay-Z as a nod to another Brooklyn musician, Jaz-O. Additionally, the J and Z subway lines run through Brooklyn where he grew up.
Katy Perry
Katy Perry didn’t always sing pop songs while dancing around in revealing clothing. If you can believe it, she used to sing Christian music under her real name, Katheryn Hudson. Apparently, that type of music and style wasn’t for her in the long term.
Once she knew the path of fame she was heading down, she decided to take her mother’s maiden name for fear of being confused with actress Kate Hudson. These days, she sings catchy pop tunes and is famous around the world. It seems like her choice of stage name really paid off!
Lorde
Lorde’s real name is Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor. So, you can imagine why she didn’t want to stick with that when she decided to launch a career in the music world. Besides the fans, have some mercy on the radio DJs!
In interviews, she has talked about how she loved the term “Lord” but thought it sounded too masculine for her stage name. The “Royals” singer has always been into aristocracy and — you guessed it! — royals. To make the name more feminine, she added the “e” at the end. That’s how the stage name was created, and it had nothing to do with religion, as many may believe.
Ludacris
Ludacris, born Christopher Brian Bridges, has talked a lot in interviews about his stage name. He has always maintained that it explains his split personality. On the one hand, he says he is collective and calm. On the other hand, however, he says he is a bit wild and crazy.
If you keep his song lyrics in mind, you can see what he’s talking about! In addition to being a rapper, Ludacris has also appeared in some films, including the very popular The Fast and the Furious franchise. While we love his stage name, we think there may be even more to the story!
Bono
U2’s frontman is not legally named Bono, which shouldn’t be surprising. His real name is Paul David Hewson. The origin of his stage name makes a lot of sense for a guy with a voice like his.
Bono was originally just a nickname that was short for “vox box,” which means “good voice” in Latin, so it’s one of those nicknames that actually make perfect sense. It was a close friend who gave him the name that was eventually shortened to just Bono. We have to hand it to his friend. It turned out to be a pretty awesome stage name!
Bruno Mars
Peter Gene Hernandez just doesn’t have the same ring to it as Bruno Mars, but that isn’t actually the reason the singer opted to change his name. Mars didn’t want to be stereotyped into performing only Spanish and Latin music, and he thought his name could do that and interfere with his career goals.
His father called him Bruno when he was a kid because Mars reminded him of his favorite wrestler. As for the name Mars, he wanted something that sounded out of this world. There’s no denying that Mars perfectly fits the bill and is extremely catchy and memorable.
Iggy Azalea
Iggy Azalea wanted to be a rapper, which meant she wanted to sound a lot tougher than her real name suggested. Amethyst Amelia Kelly is her birth name, and it does practically scream girly-girl, doesn’t it? It definitely has a delicate ring to it that the singer wanted to avoid.
As for her stage name, her dog, Iggy, provided the first name. Her beloved pet was bitten by a snake, and she wore a necklace with his name on it to show support. People assumed it was her name, so it stuck. The last name is actually the street that she and her family lived on while she was growing up.
Alice Cooper
There is always some crazy story with Alice Cooper, and the story of his stage name isn’t any different. While messing with a Ouija board in the ’60s, Vincent Furnier stumbled across the name Alice Cooper in a unique way.
He claims a witch doctor contacted him, and the witch doctor’s name was Alice Cooper. He loved the name. At the time, he named his band Alice Cooper, but he liked the name so much that he stuck with it when he went solo. Yes, he pays his band a royalty for using the name himself.
Cardi B
Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar is Cardi B’s real name. That’s a pretty intense name for a rapper who sings about the type of stuff Cardi B sings about, so she knew she needed a stage name that was much more succinct and easy to remember.
She landed on Cardi B because her sister’s name is Hennessy, so everybody used to call her Bacardi as a joke. She rearranged the letters, and the name seemed to work, so she went with it. Now, she’s famous all around the world, cool name and all. We couldn’t imagine her going by her real name.
Halsey
Fans of Halsey probably know that her stage name is just her real name with the letters arranged differently. What they may not know is that there’s a bit more to it than that.
In addition to Halsey being an anagram of Ashley — her real name — it’s also the name of a street that her friend lived on. She used to spend weekends away from New York on that street, making music and having fun, so the name seemed destined and just stuck. We agree that it’s a really great name for the singer.
Nicki Minaj
Unlike many of the others on our list, Nicki Minaj didn’t choose her own stage name. She actually didn’t even like it the first time it was suggested to her. She fought against using it but was eventually convinced.
Her real name is Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, and when she’s around family and friends, she still prefers to be called by her real name. She has stated in interviews that she isn’t Nicki Minaj when she’s around them, but her stage name gives her confidence while she’s performing. We love her name and think it goes perfectly with her style!
