What’s in a name change?
For close to ten years, Aubrey Anderson-Emmons charmed audiences worldwide with her humorous portrayal of Lily Tucker-Pritchett on the popular TV show Modern Family. Now, at 18, she’s venturing into a new field as a musician, adopting a fresh stage name: Frances Anderson.
Frances is an essential component of my legal name – it’s my middle name, and it holds significance as it was named after an old family friend of my mother. She shared this information with TopMob News before the August 8th launch of her EP titled “Drown”. She explained that she chose this name for two reasons: firstly, it is shorter than Aubrey Anderson-Emmons; secondly, she has a lengthy, hyphenated surname.
Apart from the name change being motivated by one factor, there were others as well. Frances expressed, “I fancied a change and wanted to showcase a fresh aspect of myself.” She further added, “I aimed to establish a music-focused platform. I can’t wait for everyone to listen to the songs on the EP, and I am truly grateful.
Of course, the teen is far from the only star to go by a different name professionally.
In my own words as a devoted fan, for the captivating pop music sensation Chappell Roan, her identity and her music are two distinct entities. As I’m deeply engrossed in my project, my work, it becomes simpler to keep them apart, I shared with AP News back in October 2023. The hustle and bustle of the limelight offers a refreshing break for me when I remove my makeup, step off the stage, and just be Kayleigh Rose Amstutz again.
Despite the fact that Reese Witherspoon, an Oscar-winning actress, has been known by her middle name throughout her lengthy career spanning decades, she confessed that she stumbles when she hears someone else refer to her by her given name, Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon.
Actually, when Nicole Kidman mentioned that she didn’t comprehend why Reese Witherspoon calls their “Big Little Lies” co-star Laura Dern by her last name, Reese clarified in their Vanity Fair interview that they both have the same first name, Laura, which is confusing for her.
Keep reading more stars who shed their given names for a new moniker…
The actress who played Lilly on Modern Family, known as Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, decided to change her stage name to reflect her new role as a musician.
During an exclusive conversation with Francesca Amiker at TopMob News, she revealed that ‘Frances’ is a significant part of her official name. It serves as her middle name, named after her mother’s old acquaintance from the family. She explained that it was both a shorter alternative to ‘Aubrey Anderson-Emmons’ and a way to handle her lengthy, hyphenated surname.
Sterling K. Brown went by his middle name Kelby until he was a teenager.
He stated on The Kelly Clarkson Show in April 2025 that his father is named Sterling Brown Jr., while his grandfather is Sterling Brown Sr. He shared that he chose a different name for himself because Sterling seemed more fitting for an older man.
After several years following his father’s passing due to a heart attack, the former star of “This Is Us” chose to go back to his original name as a means of paying tribute to his dad.
Since he had passed away when I was ten years old, by the time I turned sixteen and it had been nearly six years since I last heard his name, I felt a longing to hear it once more. Consequently, I requested that others refer to me as Sterling.
As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase that as follows:
In my pursuit of success, I, like my brothers Andrew and Matthew, decided to make a change in our professional identities. For me, it was a personal choice driven by advice from a talent agent who felt that our family surname might pose a challenge in the industry. Being the eldest with “Lawrence” as my middle name, I took the lead and embraced this fresh start, paving the way for us to establish ourselves as distinct entities in our respective careers.
At the tender age of nine, Kat Dennings decided to take on a stage name, long before she graced the stage for her first official acting role in an episode of ‘Sex and the City’ that aired in 2000.
In the March 13, 2025 episode of Kylie Kelce’s podcast, Not Gonna Lie With Kylie Kelce, the former star from 2 Broke Girls shared her reservations about having her real name prominently displayed.
The actress derived her stage name by taking inspiration from Christina Ricci’s character Kat in the movie Casper, as well as the surname of Janine Denni, the French spouse of Lloyd Alexander – a renowned author who was said to have been a close friend of her mother.
For over three decades, Cher thought her legal first name was Cherilyn. However, it wasn’t until the late 1970s, when she requested her birth certificate to legally change her name to ‘Cher’, that she found out she had actually been registered as “Cheryl.
In her 2024 book titled “Cher: The Memoir, Part One”, the renowned pop star reminisced about her mother’s response upon learning about a significant revelation in their lives.
As an over-the-moon admirer, I’d rephrase it like this: “When she showed her mom the artwork I created, she squinted at it, reminiscing about her own teenage childbirth. ‘Let me take a look at that,’ she said, then, with a hint of empathy, added, ‘I was just a teenager myself, writhing in pain. Cut me some slack.’
In a unique turn of events, the country outlaw embraced the misspelling of his last name at his Virginia high school as Shaboozey, and later decided to use it as his professional stage name in his music career.
Post Malone, whose last name is part of his stage name, received congratulations. Interestingly, he prefers his closest companions to address him by his given name instead.
At the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, Taylor Swift affectionately called him “Austin” while accepting the Best Collaboration award for their duet “Fortnight”.
As a devoted fan, I can share that though she initially launched a Christian album under her birth name in 2001, Katy Perry – named after her mother’s maiden name – seemed like a better fit to capture the hearts of pop music enthusiasts, leaving them spellbound, amazed, and awestruck.
Cardi B adopted the nickname Bacardi, which was given to her by family and friends as they compared her to her sister who was named Hennessy. Over time, she shortened this name to something more fitting for herself.
Before she became the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle was briefly known as Rachel.
During an interview on Apple Music’s Home Now Radio, Shania Twain revealed the backstory behind her stage name. Born as Eilleen Regina Edwards, she was later adopted and took on the surname Twain. As a professional singer, she felt it necessary to have a stage name that wasn’t too similar to her grandmothers’, both named Eileen and Regina. She didn’t want to be called those names while performing, so she opted to change hers to Shania Twain. She was inspired by someone else with the name Shania and decided to adopt it as her stage name.
The performer who sings “Good Luck, Babe!” has consistently portrayed a character named Chappell Roan on stage, which she refers to as a “drag project.” This role serves as a means for her to establish limits and maintain a distinction between her professional and personal life within the entertainment industry.
Interestingly, Gigi Hadid was given her nickname in school because her teacher often mistook her for another student named Helena. At home, her mother affectionately called her “Gigi,” so when faced with the confusion, she suggested the teacher simply call her by that name instead. And so, the name just naturally became a part of her identity.
If you’re looking for an explosive action-star name, how about Vin Diesel instead?
Miley Cyrus’ frequent radiant grin led to her being affectionately known as “Smiley” during her childhood. Over time, this moniker was abbreviated to just “Miley,” a name that has since become synonymous with her.
As a devoted fan, I found myself resembling Bruno more than Peter in appearance. One fateful day, my father began to call me Bruno, and from that moment forward, I’ve been recognized as the one and only Bruno Mars.
Before the meat dresses and chart-topping music, Lady Gaga was just an everyday girl from New York.
It was revealed on Today that Jason Sudeikis was originally named Daniel after his father. However, due to some mix-up, his mother began calling him by his middle name, Jason, to prevent confusion.
Emma Stone ultimately chose her stage name after discovering that a Screen Actors Guild member was already registered using her birth name.
It turns out that “Reese” isn’t actually Reese Witherspoon’s middle name. Instead, she named herself after her mother, who went by the surname Reese before getting married.
Every artist often has a secondary identity or persona, and in the case of this particular singer, that persona is none other than Lana Del Rey.
In 2014, Frank Ocean legally changed his name because, why not?
An intriguing detail about the actress Tina Fey from the show 30 Rock is that her real name is Elizabeth. As a nod to her birth name, she named one of her characters Liz Lemon.
This pioneer of West Coast rap would later go on to be known as Snoop Dogg.
It seems that the singer known as “The Royals” has a keen interest in the nobility, which is likely why she opted for the name Lorde (with an added feminine ‘e’), reflecting her fascination.
Prior to becoming famous with his dance moves, music sensation Ricky Martin was known by this ordinary name in daily life.
It’s hard to believe that Iggy Azalea was born Amethyst Kelly!
Fans were perplexed when Taylor Swift expressed gratitude to Adam (her then-boyfriend) during an acceptance speech, which eventually revealed that Calvin Harris is just a stage name. The DJ explained in an interview with Shortlist magazine that he selected this pseudonym because his debut single had a soulful vibe and desired something slightly more “ethnically neutral.
Before she became a household name, this was what erstwhile Friend Jennifer Aniston answered to.
Alicia Keys didn’t always have such a musical name.
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2025-08-10 16:17