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** '''Living:''' Dame [[Julie Andrews]],<ref>Julie Andrews was born Julia Elizabeth Wells, but took the name Andrews when she moved in with her stepfather as a child.</ref> [[Jimmy Barnes]],<ref>Jimmy Barnes was born James Dixon Swan in [[Glasgow, Scotland|Glasgow]], Scotland. His family relocated to [[South Australia]] in 1961, when he was four years old. Barnes' parents later divorced. His mother remarried, to a clerk surnamed Barnes and encouraged her children to adopt their stepfather's surname.</ref> [[Christie Brinkley]],<ref>Christie Brinkley was born Christie Lee Hudson but following her parents' divorce she was legally adopted by her stepfather, whose surname (Brinkley), she took.</ref> [[Neneh Cherry]],<ref>Neneh Cherry was born Neneh Mariann Karlsson (Karlsson was her mother's maiden name); she was later adopted by her stepfather [[Don Cherry (trumpeter)|Don Cherry]], and subsequently took his surname.</ref> [[George Englund]],<ref>George Englund, the son of Harold Austin Ripley and actress [[Mabel Albertson]], was born as George Howe Ripley in [[Washington, D.C.]] After his parents' divorce, his mother remarried, to Ken Englund, whose surname young George adopted.</ref> [[Robb Flynn]],<ref>Robert Conrad "Robb" Flynn was born as Lawrence Matthew Cardine in [[Oakland, California]]. He was adopted after being abandoned by his birth parents. He has since stated that he does not wish to find his birth parents, with the Machine Head song "[[Through the Ashes of Empires|Left Unfinished]]" describing his feelings about them.<br>{{cite web|url=http://www.goldenplec.com/interview-robb-flynn-machine-head|title=Interview: Robb Flynn of Machine Head|publisher=goldenplec.com|date=May 23, 2013|accessdate=2013-12-03}}</ref> [[Missy Gold|Missy]] and [[Tracey Gold]],<ref>Missy and Tracey Gold were born Melissa Fisher and Tracey Claire Fisher, respectively; the surname Gold is a shortened form of the surname they acquired upon adoption by their stepfather, Harry Goldstein.</ref> [[Julie Goodyear]],<ref>Julie Goodyear was born Julie Kemp; she adopted her stepfather's surname.</ref> [[Dave Gahan]],<ref>Dave Gahan, British musician, was born David Callcott to parents Len and Sylvia Callcott; Dave was only six months old when his father left the family. Sylvia and Len [[divorced]] two years later and his mother moved Dave and sister Sue (born 1960) to [[Basildon]], Essex, after she married her second husband, Jack Gahan.{{citation needed|date=April 2015}}</ref> [[Barra Grant]],<ref>American actress, director and screenwriter, born Barbara Carol Wayne; her mother [[Bess Myerson]], married, secondly, to Arnold Grant, who legally adopted Barbara in 1962.</ref> [[Jane Lapotaire]],<ref>Born Jane Elizabeth Marie Burgess, she later adopted her stepfather (Yves Lapotaire)'s surname (see [http://www.filmreference.com/film/38/Jane-Lapotaire.html])</ref> [[Blake Lively|Blake]] and [[Eric Lively]],<ref>Born Blake Ellender Brown and Eric Lawrence Brown, respectively; later adopted their stepfather ([[Ernie Lively]])'s surname (see [http://ca.eonline.com/news/346615/blake-lively-and-ryan-reynolds-secretly-married-not-once-but-twice])</ref> [[Elle Macpherson]],<ref>Elle Macpherson was born Eleanor Nancy Gow, but was assigned her stepfather's surname (see [http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/consumer_goods/article3601582.ece "Elle Macpherson looks good with Intimates"])</ref> [[Jesse L. Martin]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/person/239466/Jesse-L-Martin/biography|work=The New York Times|title=Movies: Biography for Jesse L. Martin|accessdate=December 1, 2014|quote=Jesse L. Martin was born Jesse Lamont Watkins to Jesse Reed Watkins and Virginia Price; the two divorced when Jesse was a child. His mother eventually remarried and Martin adopted his stepfather's surname.}}</ref> [[Steve March-Tormé]],<ref>American singer-songwriter, is the son of singer [[Mel Tormé]] and actress [[Candy Toxton]]. They later divorced and Toxton married actor/comedian [[Hal March]], who became Steve's stepfather.</ref> [[Martine McCutcheon]],<ref>At the age of 10, Martine took her stepfather's surname when her mother met and married window cleaner John McCutcheon.</ref> [[Rita Moreno]],<ref>Rita Moreno was born Rosa Dolores Alverío, but later adopted the surname of her first stepfather, Edward Moreno.</ref> [[Piers Morgan]],<ref>Piers Morgan was born Piers Stefan O'Meara; after being adopted by his stepfather, his name became Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan, which he shortened to Piers Morgan, professionally.</ref> [[Simon Pegg]],<ref>Simon Pegg was born Simon John Beckingham to Gillian Rosemary (née Smith), a former civil servant, and John Henry Beckingham, a jazz musician and keyboard salesman. His parents divorced when he was seven and he took the surname of his stepfather (Pegg), after his mother re-married.</ref><ref name="simonpegg1">{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/portal/2007/06/02/nosplit/ftdetective102.xml|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London, UK|title=Family detective|first=Nick|last=Barratt|date=June 2, 2007|accessdate=May 23, 2010}}</ref><ref name="simonpegg2">{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1846732,00.html|title=10 Questions for Simon Pegg|work=Time|date=October 2, 2008}}</ref><ref name="simonpegg3">{{cite news|url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,,2005313,00.html|work=The Guardian|location=London, UK|title=A fair cop|first=Carole|last=Cadwallader|date=February 4, 2007|accessdate=May 23, 2010}}</ref> [[Nicole Richie]],<ref>Nicole Richie was born Nicole Escovedo. Her biological parents, [[Peter Michael Escovedo|Peter Michael and Karen Escovedo]], agreed to let Richie stay with singer-songwriter [[Lionel Richie]] and his then-wife, Brenda Harvey because they could not afford to care for her financially. Nicole was legally adopted by Lionel and Brenda at the age of nine.</ref> [[Juliet Rylance]],<ref>Juliet Rylance was born as Juliet van Kampen in [[Hammersmith]], London to [[Claire van Kampen|Chris van Kampen, an architect, and his wife, Claire, a composer]]. Her younger sister, Nataasha (now deceased), became a filmmaker. Her parents divorced when she was seven, and her mother subsequently married actor [[Mark Rylance]], whose surname she adopted.
** '''Living:''' Dame [[Julie Andrews]],<ref>Julie Andrews was born Julia Elizabeth Wells, but took the name Andrews when she moved in with her stepfather as a child.</ref> [[Jimmy Barnes]],<ref>Jimmy Barnes was born James Dixon Swan in [[Glasgow, Scotland|Glasgow]], Scotland. His family relocated to [[South Australia]] in 1961, when he was four years old. Barnes' parents later divorced. His mother remarried, to a clerk surnamed Barnes and encouraged her children to adopt their stepfather's surname.</ref> [[Christie Brinkley]],<ref>Christie Brinkley was born Christie Lee Hudson but following her parents' divorce she was legally adopted by her stepfather, whose surname (Brinkley), she took.</ref> [[Neneh Cherry]],<ref>Neneh Cherry was born Neneh Mariann Karlsson (Karlsson was her mother's maiden name); she was later adopted by her stepfather [[Don Cherry (trumpeter)|Don Cherry]], and subsequently took his surname.</ref> [[George Englund]],<ref>George Englund, the son of Harold Austin Ripley and actress [[Mabel Albertson]], was born as George Howe Ripley in [[Washington, D.C.]] After his parents' divorce, his mother remarried, to Ken Englund, whose surname young George adopted.</ref> [[Robb Flynn]],<ref>Robert Conrad "Robb" Flynn was born as Lawrence Matthew Cardine in [[Oakland, California]]. He was adopted after being abandoned by his birth parents. He has since stated that he does not wish to find his birth parents, with the Machine Head song "[[Through the Ashes of Empires|Left Unfinished]]" describing his feelings about them.<br>{{cite web|url=http://www.goldenplec.com/interview-robb-flynn-machine-head|title=Interview: Robb Flynn of Machine Head|publisher=goldenplec.com|date=May 23, 2013|accessdate=2013-12-03}}</ref> [[Missy Gold|Missy]] and [[Tracey Gold]],<ref>Missy and Tracey Gold were born Melissa Fisher and Tracey Claire Fisher, respectively; the surname Gold is a shortened form of the surname they acquired upon adoption by their stepfather, Harry Goldstein.</ref> [[Julie Goodyear]],<ref>Julie Goodyear was born Julie Kemp; she adopted her stepfather's surname.</ref> [[Dave Gahan]],<ref>Dave Gahan, British musician, was born David Callcott to parents Len and Sylvia Callcott; Dave was only six months old when his father left the family. Sylvia and Len [[divorced]] two years later and his mother moved Dave and sister Sue (born 1960) to [[Basildon]], Essex, after she married her second husband, Jack Gahan.{{citation needed|date=April 2015}}</ref> [[Barra Grant]],<ref>American actress, director and screenwriter, born Barbara Carol Wayne; her mother [[Bess Myerson]], married, secondly, to Arnold Grant, who legally adopted Barbara in 1962.</ref> [[Jane Lapotaire]],<ref>Born Jane Elizabeth Marie Burgess, she later adopted her stepfather (Yves Lapotaire)'s surname (see [http://www.filmreference.com/film/38/Jane-Lapotaire.html])</ref> [[Blake Lively|Blake]] and [[Eric Lively]],<ref>Born Blake Ellender Brown and Eric Lawrence Brown, respectively; later adopted their stepfather ([[Ernie Lively]])'s surname (see [http://ca.eonline.com/news/346615/blake-lively-and-ryan-reynolds-secretly-married-not-once-but-twice])</ref> [[Elle Macpherson]],<ref>Elle Macpherson was born Eleanor Nancy Gow, but was assigned her stepfather's surname (see [http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/consumer_goods/article3601582.ece "Elle Macpherson looks good with Intimates"])</ref> [[Jesse L. Martin]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/person/239466/Jesse-L-Martin/biography|work=The New York Times|title=Movies: Biography for Jesse L. Martin|accessdate=December 1, 2014|quote=Jesse L. Martin was born Jesse Lamont Watkins to Jesse Reed Watkins and Virginia Price; the two divorced when Jesse was a child. His mother eventually remarried and Martin adopted his stepfather's surname.}}</ref> [[Steve March-Tormé]],<ref>American singer-songwriter, is the son of singer [[Mel Tormé]] and actress [[Candy Toxton]]. They later divorced and Toxton married actor/comedian [[Hal March]], who became Steve's stepfather.</ref> [[Martine McCutcheon]],<ref>At the age of 10, Martine took her stepfather's surname when her mother met and married window cleaner John McCutcheon.</ref> [[Rita Moreno]],<ref>Rita Moreno was born Rosa Dolores Alverío, but later adopted the surname of her first stepfather, Edward Moreno.</ref> [[Piers Morgan]],<ref>Piers Morgan was born Piers Stefan O'Meara; after being adopted by his stepfather, his name became Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan, which he shortened to Piers Morgan, professionally.</ref> [[Simon Pegg]],<ref>Simon Pegg was born Simon John Beckingham to Gillian Rosemary (née Smith), a former civil servant, and John Henry Beckingham, a jazz musician and keyboard salesman. His parents divorced when he was seven and he took the surname of his stepfather (Pegg), after his mother re-married.</ref><ref name="simonpegg1">{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/portal/2007/06/02/nosplit/ftdetective102.xml|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London, UK|title=Family detective|first=Nick|last=Barratt|date=June 2, 2007|accessdate=May 23, 2010}}</ref><ref name="simonpegg2">{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1846732,00.html|title=10 Questions for Simon Pegg|work=Time|date=October 2, 2008}}</ref><ref name="simonpegg3">{{cite news|url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,,2005313,00.html|work=The Guardian|location=London, UK|title=A fair cop|first=Carole|last=Cadwallader|date=February 4, 2007|accessdate=May 23, 2010}}</ref> [[Nicole Richie]],<ref>Nicole Richie was born Nicole Escovedo. Her biological parents, [[Peter Michael Escovedo|Peter Michael and Karen Escovedo]], agreed to let Richie stay with singer-songwriter [[Lionel Richie]] and his then-wife, Brenda Harvey because they could not afford to care for her financially. Nicole was legally adopted by Lionel and Brenda at the age of nine.</ref> [[Juliet Rylance]],<ref>Juliet Rylance was born as Juliet van Kampen in [[Hammersmith]], London to [[Claire van Kampen|Chris van Kampen, an architect, and his wife, Claire, a composer]]. Her younger sister, Nataasha (now deceased), became a filmmaker. Her parents divorced when she was seven, and her mother subsequently married actor [[Mark Rylance]], whose surname she adopted.
</ref> [[Ken Shamrock]],<ref>Ken[neth Wayne] Shamrock was born as Kenneth Wayne Kilpatrick. He bounced around between several group homes before being placed in Bob Shamrock's Boys' Home at age 14, in [[Susanville, California]], where he turned his life around. Bob Shamrock legally adopted Ken as his son, and Ken changed his last name from Kilpatrick to Shamrock.</ref> [[Kristoffer Tabori]],<ref> Christopher Donald Siegel was born in [[Malibu, California]], the son of American film director [[Don Siegel]] and Swedish-American actress [[Viveca Lindfors]]. His parents divorced and Lindfors married Hungarian writer and director [[George Tabori]]. Christopher adopted his stepfather's surname and changed the English spelling of his forename.</ref> [[Leigh Taylor-Young]],<ref>Leigh Young was born on January 25, 1945, in [[Washington, D.C.]] She added the surname Taylor, which was the surname of her stepfather, a successful Detroit executive.</ref> Dame [[Kiri Te Kanawa]],<ref>Kiri Te Kanawa was born as Claire Mary Teresa Rawstron in [[Gisborne, New Zealand|Gisborne]], New Zealand, but adopted as an infant by Thomas Te Kanawa, a Māori, and his wife, Nell.</ref> [[Louis Tomlinson]],<ref>Louis William Tomlinson ([[One Direction]]) was born Louis Troy Austin to Johannah (née Poulston) and Troy Austin. His parents split up when he was young and he took the surname of his stepfather, Mark Tomlinson.</ref> [[Steven Van Zandt]],<ref>Steven Van Zandt was born Steven Lento in [[Winthrop, Massachusetts]]; his mother, Mary Lento, remarried when he was young, and Steven took the last name of his stepfather, William Van Zandt.</ref> [[Suzanne Vega]],<ref>Suzanne Vega was born in 1959 in [[Santa Monica, California|Santa Monica]], California to Pat (née Schumacher), a computer [[systems analyst]] of German-Swedish heritage, and Richard Peck, of Scottish-English-Irish origin. They divorced soon after her birth and Suzanne's stepfather, [[Edgardo Vega Yunqué]], whose surname she adopted, was a writer and teacher from [[Puerto Rico]].</ref> and [[Vanna White]].<ref>White was born Vanna Marie Rosich in [[Conway, South Carolina|Conway]], South Carolina, the daughter of Joan Marie and Miguel Angel Rosich. Her father was of [[Puerto Ricans in the United States|Puerto Rican]] and [[Croats|Croatian]] descent. He abandoned the family and White took the name of her stepfather, Herbert Stackley White Jr., a [[South Carolina]] real estate agent in what is now [[North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina|North Myrtle Beach]].</ref>
</ref> [[Ken Shamrock]],<ref>Ken[neth Wayne] Shamrock was born as Kenneth Wayne Kilpatrick. He bounced around between several group homes before being placed in Bob Shamrock's Boys' Home at age 14, in [[Susanville, California]], where he turned his life around. Bob Shamrock legally adopted Ken as his son, and Ken changed his last name from Kilpatrick to Shamrock.</ref> [[Kristoffer Tabori]],<ref> Christopher Donald Siegel was born in [[Malibu, California]], the son of American film director [[Don Siegel]] and Swedish-American actress [[Viveca Lindfors]]. His parents divorced and Lindfors married Hungarian writer and director [[George Tabori]]. Christopher adopted his stepfather's surname and changed the English spelling of his forename.</ref> [[Leigh Taylor-Young]],<ref>Leigh Young was born on January 25, 1945, in [[Washington, D.C.]] She added the surname Taylor, which was the surname of her stepfather, a successful Detroit executive.</ref> Dame [[Kiri Te Kanawa]],<ref>Kiri Te Kanawa was born as Claire Mary Teresa Rawstron in [[Gisborne, New Zealand|Gisborne]], New Zealand, but adopted as an infant by Thomas Te Kanawa, a Māori, and his wife, Nell.</ref> [[Louis Tomlinson]],<ref>Louis William Tomlinson ([[One Direction]]) was born Louis Troy Austin to Johannah (née Poulston) and Troy Austin. His parents split up when he was young and he took the surname of his stepfather, Mark Tomlinson.</ref> [[Steven Van Zandt]],<ref>Steven Van Zandt was born Steven Lento in [[Winthrop, Massachusetts]]; his mother, Mary Lento, remarried when he was young, and Steven took the last name of his stepfather, William Van Zandt.</ref> [[Suzanne Vega]],<ref>Suzanne Vega was born in 1959 in [[Santa Monica, California|Santa Monica]], California to Pat (née Schumacher), a computer [[systems analyst]] of German-Swedish heritage, and Richard Peck, of Scottish-English-Irish origin. They divorced soon after her birth and Suzanne's stepfather, [[Edgardo Vega Yunqué]], whose surname she adopted, was a writer and teacher from [[Puerto Rico]].</ref> and [[Vanna White]].<ref>White was born Vanna Marie Rosich in [[Conway, South Carolina|Conway]], South Carolina, the daughter of Joan Marie and Miguel Angel Rosich. Her father was of [[Puerto Ricans in the United States|Puerto Rican]] and [[Croats|Croatian]] descent. He abandoned the family and White took the name of her stepfather, Herbert Stackley White Jr., a [[South Carolina]] real estate agent in what is now [[North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina|North Myrtle Beach]].</ref>
** '''Dead:''' [[Bibi Besch]],<ref>Bibi Besch (and her elder sister) adopted their stepfather (Joseph Besch)'s surname after they were adopted.</ref> [[Nancy Reagan|Nancy Davis]],<ref>Nancy Davis, later Mrs. Nancy Reagan, was born Anne Frances Robbins; she was adopted by her stepfather, Dr. Loyal Davis, whose surname she took.</ref> [[Katherine DeMille]],<ref>Katherine DeMille was born Katherine Paula Lester in Canada and orphaned at an early age; she was adopted <!-- when? --> by [[Cecil B. DeMille]] and his wife, Constance.</ref> [[Joan Fontaine]],<ref>Joan Fontaine was born Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland, but as her elder sister [[Olivia de Havilland]] had taken the family surname (de Havilland), Joan (after essaying such unsatisfying stage names as Joan Burfield and Joan St. John), decided to use her stepfather (Frank Fontaine)'s surname, notwithstanding both sisters' mutual dislike of their mother's husband.</ref> [[Sterling Hayden]],<ref>Sterling Hayden was born Sterling Relyea Walter in [[Upper Montclair, New Jersey]] to George and Frances Walter; after his father's death, he was adopted at age 9 by his stepfather, James Hayden, and renamed Sterling Walter Hayden.</ref> [[Eileen Heckart]],<ref>{{cite book|title=Just Outside the Spotlight: Growing Up with Eileen Heckart|first=Luke|last=Yankee|isbn=0-8230-7888-4|oclc=2006921113|year=2006|publisher=BackStage Books}}<br/>Eileen Heckart was born from an out of wedlock relationship and briefly known as Anna Eileen Herbert; "Herbert" was quickly changed to Heckart, the surname of her maternal grandmother's wealthy second husband, who adopted the child.</ref> [[Charlton Heston]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biography.com/articles/Charlton-Heston-9337556|title=Biography of Charlton Heston|date=March 18, 2010|work=biography.com|accessdate=December 11, 2014}}<br/>Heston was born John Charles Carter, the son of Lila (née Charlton; 1899–1994) and Russell Whitford Carter (1897–1966). When Heston was 10 years old, his parents divorced. Shortly thereafter, his mother married Chester Heston, whose surname John Charles adopted, taking his mother's maiden name (Charlton) later as his forename.</ref> [[Dorothy Lamour]],<ref>Dorothy Lamour was born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton in [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]], Louisiana, the daughter of [http://community.mcckc.edu/crosby/lamoubio.htm Carmen Louise (née LaPorte) and John Watson Slaton]. Her parents' marriage lasted only a few years. Her mother remarried, to Clarence Lambour, whose surname Dorothy later adopted and modified as her stage name.</ref> [[Arthur Lee (musician)|Arthur Taylor Lee]],<ref>American musician, was born Arthur Taylor in [[Memphis, Tennessee]], the son of Chester, a jazz cornet player, and Agnes Taylor, a school teacher. He and his mother moved to Los Angeles when he was five years old. In 1953 his mother married Clinton Lee, who adopted Arthur, who legally changed his name to Arthur Taylor Lee.</ref> [[Art Linkletter]],<ref>Art Linkletter was born Gordon Arthur Kelly, but his name was changed to Arthur Gordon Linkletter when he was adopted in infancy.</ref> [[Lori March]],<ref>Lori March was born Lori von Eltz; she was adopted by her stepfather.</ref> [[Terry Melcher]],<ref>Melcher was born with his birth father's surname ("Jorden"), but was adopted by his stepfather ([[Marty Melcher]]), who married Terry's mother ([[Doris Day]]); Terry took Marty's surname.</ref> [[Florence Nash|Florence]] and [[Mary Nash]],<ref>Mary and Florence Nash were born to James H. Ryan, a lawyer, and his wife, Ellen Frances (née McNamara); the sisters adopted the surname of their stepfather, Philip F. Nash, a vaudeville booking executive, who married their mother after the death of their father.</ref> [[Baby Marie Osborne]],<ref>Baby Jane Osborne was born Helen Alice Myres, but adopted by a couple surnamed Osborn under unclear circumstances, see [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/arts/17osborne.html Baby Jane Osborne obituary], ''New York Times'', November 17, 2010.</ref> [[Tracy Reed (English actress)|Tracy Reed]],<ref>Tracy Reed was born Clare Tracy Compton Pelissier, the daughter of the director [[Anthony Pelissier]] and actress [[Penelope Dudley-Ward]]; she took the surname of her stepfather, [[Sir Carol Reed]], following her mother's remarriage in 1948.</ref> [[Doris Roberts]],<ref>Doris Roberts was born Doris May Green but her biological father abandoned the family and her mother later remarried, to Chester Roberts, whose surname the future actress adopted.</ref> [[Ginger Rogers]],<ref>Ginger Rogers was born Virginia Katherine McMath. Her parents divorced and her name was changed to "Rogers", her stepfather's name, after her mother's remarriage.</ref> [[Sylvia Sidney]],<ref>Sylvia Sidney was born Sophia Kosow, but took the surname of her stepfather, Dr. Sigmund Sidney, a dentist, after he adopted her.</ref> [[Willie "the Lion" Smith]],<ref>William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholoff was born in [[Goshen (village), New York|Goshen, New York]]. His mother and grandmother chose the names to reflect the different parts of his heritage: Joseph after [[Saint Joseph]] (Bible), [[House of Bonaparte|Bonaparte]] (French), Bertholoff (biological father's last name), Smith (added when he was three, his stepfather's name), and William and Henry were added for "spiritual balance".</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Smith|first=Willie the Lion|title=Music on My Mind: The Memoirs of an American Pianist, Foreword by Duke Ellington|year=1964|page=5|publisher=Doubleday & Company Inc.|location=New York City}}</ref> [[Alan Thicke]],<ref>Alan Thicke was born Alan Willis Jeffery in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada. His stepfather was Dr. Brian Thicke, whose surname Alan legally adopted.</ref> and [[Grace Lee Whitney]].<ref>Grace Lee Whitney was born Mary Ann Chase, but her name was changed when she was adopted as a small child.</ref>
** '''Dead:''' [[Bibi Besch]],<ref>Bibi Besch (and her elder sister) adopted their stepfather (Joseph Besch)'s surname after they were adopted.</ref> [[Nancy Reagan|Nancy Davis]],<ref>Nancy Davis, later Mrs. Nancy Reagan, was born Anne Frances Robbins; she was adopted by her stepfather, Dr. Loyal Davis, whose surname she took.</ref> [[Katherine DeMille]],<ref>Katherine DeMille was born Katherine Paula Lester in Canada and orphaned at an early age; she was adopted <!-- when? --> by [[Cecil B. DeMille]] and his wife, Constance.</ref> [[Joan Fontaine]],<ref>Joan Fontaine was born Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland, but as her elder sister [[Olivia de Havilland]] had taken the family surname (de Havilland), Joan (after essaying such unsatisfying stage names as Joan Burfield and Joan St. John), decided to use her stepfather (Frank Fontaine)'s surname, notwithstanding both sisters' mutual dislike of their mother's husband.</ref> [[Sterling Hayden]],<ref>Sterling Hayden was born Sterling Relyea Walter in [[Upper Montclair, New Jersey]] to George and Frances Walter; after his father's death, he was adopted at age 9 by his stepfather, James Hayden, and renamed Sterling Walter Hayden.</ref> [[Eileen Heckart]],<ref>{{cite book|title=Just Outside the Spotlight: Growing Up with Eileen Heckart|first=Luke|last=Yankee|isbn=0-8230-7888-4|oclc=2006921113|year=2006|publisher=BackStage Books}}<br/>Eileen Heckart was born from an out of wedlock relationship and briefly known as Anna Eileen Herbert; "Herbert" was quickly changed to Heckart, the surname of her maternal grandmother's wealthy second husband, who adopted the child.</ref> [[Charlton Heston]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biography.com/articles/Charlton-Heston-9337556 |title=Biography of Charlton Heston |date=March 18, 2010 |work=biography.com |accessdate=December 11, 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924201149/http://www.biography.com/articles/Charlton-Heston-9337556 |archivedate=September 24, 2011 |df= }}<br/>Heston was born John Charles Carter, the son of Lila (née Charlton; 1899–1994) and Russell Whitford Carter (1897–1966). When Heston was 10 years old, his parents divorced. Shortly thereafter, his mother married Chester Heston, whose surname John Charles adopted, taking his mother's maiden name (Charlton) later as his forename.</ref> [[Dorothy Lamour]],<ref>Dorothy Lamour was born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton in [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]], Louisiana, the daughter of [http://community.mcckc.edu/crosby/lamoubio.htm Carmen Louise (née LaPorte) and John Watson Slaton]. Her parents' marriage lasted only a few years. Her mother remarried, to Clarence Lambour, whose surname Dorothy later adopted and modified as her stage name.</ref> [[Arthur Lee (musician)|Arthur Taylor Lee]],<ref>American musician, was born Arthur Taylor in [[Memphis, Tennessee]], the son of Chester, a jazz cornet player, and Agnes Taylor, a school teacher. He and his mother moved to Los Angeles when he was five years old. In 1953 his mother married Clinton Lee, who adopted Arthur, who legally changed his name to Arthur Taylor Lee.</ref> [[Art Linkletter]],<ref>Art Linkletter was born Gordon Arthur Kelly, but his name was changed to Arthur Gordon Linkletter when he was adopted in infancy.</ref> [[Lori March]],<ref>Lori March was born Lori von Eltz; she was adopted by her stepfather.</ref> [[Terry Melcher]],<ref>Melcher was born with his birth father's surname ("Jorden"), but was adopted by his stepfather ([[Marty Melcher]]), who married Terry's mother ([[Doris Day]]); Terry took Marty's surname.</ref> [[Florence Nash|Florence]] and [[Mary Nash]],<ref>Mary and Florence Nash were born to James H. Ryan, a lawyer, and his wife, Ellen Frances (née McNamara); the sisters adopted the surname of their stepfather, Philip F. Nash, a vaudeville booking executive, who married their mother after the death of their father.</ref> [[Baby Marie Osborne]],<ref>Baby Jane Osborne was born Helen Alice Myres, but adopted by a couple surnamed Osborn under unclear circumstances, see [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/arts/17osborne.html Baby Jane Osborne obituary], ''New York Times'', November 17, 2010.</ref> [[Tracy Reed (English actress)|Tracy Reed]],<ref>Tracy Reed was born Clare Tracy Compton Pelissier, the daughter of the director [[Anthony Pelissier]] and actress [[Penelope Dudley-Ward]]; she took the surname of her stepfather, [[Sir Carol Reed]], following her mother's remarriage in 1948.</ref> [[Doris Roberts]],<ref>Doris Roberts was born Doris May Green but her biological father abandoned the family and her mother later remarried, to Chester Roberts, whose surname the future actress adopted.</ref> [[Ginger Rogers]],<ref>Ginger Rogers was born Virginia Katherine McMath. Her parents divorced and her name was changed to "Rogers", her stepfather's name, after her mother's remarriage.</ref> [[Sylvia Sidney]],<ref>Sylvia Sidney was born Sophia Kosow, but took the surname of her stepfather, Dr. Sigmund Sidney, a dentist, after he adopted her.</ref> [[Willie "the Lion" Smith]],<ref>William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholoff was born in [[Goshen (village), New York|Goshen, New York]]. His mother and grandmother chose the names to reflect the different parts of his heritage: Joseph after [[Saint Joseph]] (Bible), [[House of Bonaparte|Bonaparte]] (French), Bertholoff (biological father's last name), Smith (added when he was three, his stepfather's name), and William and Henry were added for "spiritual balance".</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Smith|first=Willie the Lion|title=Music on My Mind: The Memoirs of an American Pianist, Foreword by Duke Ellington|year=1964|page=5|publisher=Doubleday & Company Inc.|location=New York City}}</ref> [[Alan Thicke]],<ref>Alan Thicke was born Alan Willis Jeffery in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada. His stepfather was Dr. Brian Thicke, whose surname Alan legally adopted.</ref> and [[Grace Lee Whitney]].<ref>Grace Lee Whitney was born Mary Ann Chase, but her name was changed when she was adopted as a small child.</ref>
* People who adopted a [[matriname]]: See '''''[[List of people who adopted matrilineal surnames]]'''''
* People who adopted a [[matriname]]: See '''''[[List of people who adopted matrilineal surnames]]'''''
* Those whose stage forename is a middle name, e.g. [[Paul McCartney]] and [[Marie Osmond]]: these are their real middle names, not stage names.
* Those whose stage forename is a middle name, e.g. [[Paul McCartney]] and [[Marie Osmond]]: these are their real middle names, not stage names.

Revision as of 13:54, 23 May 2017

This list of stage names lists names used by those in the entertainment industry, alphabetically by their stage name's surname, followed by their birth name. Individuals who dropped their last name and substituted their middle name as their last name are listed. In many cases, performers have legally changed their name to their stage name.

People are not listed here if they fall into one or more of the following categories:

Note, however, that other cultures have their own naming customs and systems (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Hungarian, and others), some rather intricate, and minor changes or alterations, including reversing Eastern-style formats, do not in and of themselves qualify as stage names, and should not normally be included. For example, Björk, whose stage name appears to be an original creation, is part of her full Icelandic name, Björk Guðmundsdóttir. Her second name is a patronymic instead of a family name, following Icelandic naming conventions. "Björk" is not a stage name but how any Icelander would refer to her, casually or formally.
In some cases this is reversed; i.e. a surname is simplified by the removal of a genuine particle (or particles), hyphenation or other diacritic/symbol, such as in the cases of Dirk Bogarde, Tabby Callaghan, Lyn Christie, Scott Forbes, Gregory Gaye, Martyn Green, Jean Hagen, Jock Mahoney, Frank Tashlin, and Peter Ustinov.

The following are listed here for the following reasons:

  • Tupac Shakur is listed here, but under the stage name 2Pac. He was born either Lesane Parish Crooks or Parish Lesane Crooks, depending on the source, but his name was changed in early childhood to Tupac Amaru Shakur.
  • Elton John is listed here because he used the name professionally before he legally adopted it in 1972.

0–9 and other stage names which do not begin with or include alphabetical letters

  • 2Pac – Tupac Amaru Shakur (born as either Parish Lesane Crooks or Lesane Parish Crooks)
  • 50 Cent – Curtis James Jackson III
  • 6025 – Carlos Cadona
  • 75 Cents – Ladislav Demeterffy
  • E-40 – Earl Stevens
  • John 5 – John William Lowrey
  • Jussi 69 – Heikki Tapio Vuori (or Jussi Heikki Tapio Vuori)
  • Pavel 183 – Pavel Pukhov
  • Royce da 5'9" – Ryan Daniel Montgomery
  • Tech N9ne – Aaron Dontez Yates
  • 2 Chainz – Tauheed Epps
  • μ-Ziq – Michael Paradinas

A

Aa–Ar

Ar–Az

B

Ba–Bi

Bi–Br

Br–Bz

C

Ca–Ch

Ch–Co

Co–Cz

D

Da–De

De–Du

Du–Dz

E

F

Fa–Fr

Fr–Fz

G

H

I

J

K

L

La–Lit

Liv–Lz

M

Ma–Me

Me–Mo

Mo–Mz

N

O

P

Q

R

Ra–Rn

Ro–Rz

S

Sa–Sh

Sh–So

So–Sz

St–Sz

T

U

V

W

X

  • Terminator X – Norman Lee Rogers
  • X-Pac – Sean Michael Waltman
  • Xia – Kim Junsu
  • Xuxa – Maria da Graça Meneghel
  • Xzibit – Alvin Nathaniel Joiner

Y

Z

See also

References

  1. ^ Daniel Barnz was born Daniel Bernstein in a suburb of Philadelphia, and later changed his surname to an amalgamation of Bernstein and Schwartz, the surname of his partner of almost two decades, Ben Schwartz.
  2. ^ Julie Andrews was born Julia Elizabeth Wells, but took the name Andrews when she moved in with her stepfather as a child.
  3. ^ Jimmy Barnes was born James Dixon Swan in Glasgow, Scotland. His family relocated to South Australia in 1961, when he was four years old. Barnes' parents later divorced. His mother remarried, to a clerk surnamed Barnes and encouraged her children to adopt their stepfather's surname.
  4. ^ Christie Brinkley was born Christie Lee Hudson but following her parents' divorce she was legally adopted by her stepfather, whose surname (Brinkley), she took.
  5. ^ Neneh Cherry was born Neneh Mariann Karlsson (Karlsson was her mother's maiden name); she was later adopted by her stepfather Don Cherry, and subsequently took his surname.
  6. ^ George Englund, the son of Harold Austin Ripley and actress Mabel Albertson, was born as George Howe Ripley in Washington, D.C. After his parents' divorce, his mother remarried, to Ken Englund, whose surname young George adopted.
  7. ^ Robert Conrad "Robb" Flynn was born as Lawrence Matthew Cardine in Oakland, California. He was adopted after being abandoned by his birth parents. He has since stated that he does not wish to find his birth parents, with the Machine Head song "Left Unfinished" describing his feelings about them.
    "Interview: Robb Flynn of Machine Head". goldenplec.com. May 23, 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  8. ^ Missy and Tracey Gold were born Melissa Fisher and Tracey Claire Fisher, respectively; the surname Gold is a shortened form of the surname they acquired upon adoption by their stepfather, Harry Goldstein.
  9. ^ Julie Goodyear was born Julie Kemp; she adopted her stepfather's surname.
  10. ^ Dave Gahan, British musician, was born David Callcott to parents Len and Sylvia Callcott; Dave was only six months old when his father left the family. Sylvia and Len divorced two years later and his mother moved Dave and sister Sue (born 1960) to Basildon, Essex, after she married her second husband, Jack Gahan.[citation needed]
  11. ^ American actress, director and screenwriter, born Barbara Carol Wayne; her mother Bess Myerson, married, secondly, to Arnold Grant, who legally adopted Barbara in 1962.
  12. ^ Born Jane Elizabeth Marie Burgess, she later adopted her stepfather (Yves Lapotaire)'s surname (see [1])
  13. ^ Born Blake Ellender Brown and Eric Lawrence Brown, respectively; later adopted their stepfather (Ernie Lively)'s surname (see [2])
  14. ^ Elle Macpherson was born Eleanor Nancy Gow, but was assigned her stepfather's surname (see "Elle Macpherson looks good with Intimates")
  15. ^ "Movies: Biography for Jesse L. Martin". The New York Times. Retrieved December 1, 2014. Jesse L. Martin was born Jesse Lamont Watkins to Jesse Reed Watkins and Virginia Price; the two divorced when Jesse was a child. His mother eventually remarried and Martin adopted his stepfather's surname.
  16. ^ American singer-songwriter, is the son of singer Mel Tormé and actress Candy Toxton. They later divorced and Toxton married actor/comedian Hal March, who became Steve's stepfather.
  17. ^ At the age of 10, Martine took her stepfather's surname when her mother met and married window cleaner John McCutcheon.
  18. ^ Rita Moreno was born Rosa Dolores Alverío, but later adopted the surname of her first stepfather, Edward Moreno.
  19. ^ Piers Morgan was born Piers Stefan O'Meara; after being adopted by his stepfather, his name became Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan, which he shortened to Piers Morgan, professionally.
  20. ^ Simon Pegg was born Simon John Beckingham to Gillian Rosemary (née Smith), a former civil servant, and John Henry Beckingham, a jazz musician and keyboard salesman. His parents divorced when he was seven and he took the surname of his stepfather (Pegg), after his mother re-married.
  21. ^ Barratt, Nick (June 2, 2007). "Family detective". The Daily Telegraph. London, UK. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
  22. ^ "10 Questions for Simon Pegg". Time. October 2, 2008.
  23. ^ Cadwallader, Carole (February 4, 2007). "A fair cop". The Guardian. London, UK. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
  24. ^ Nicole Richie was born Nicole Escovedo. Her biological parents, Peter Michael and Karen Escovedo, agreed to let Richie stay with singer-songwriter Lionel Richie and his then-wife, Brenda Harvey because they could not afford to care for her financially. Nicole was legally adopted by Lionel and Brenda at the age of nine.
  25. ^ Juliet Rylance was born as Juliet van Kampen in Hammersmith, London to Chris van Kampen, an architect, and his wife, Claire, a composer. Her younger sister, Nataasha (now deceased), became a filmmaker. Her parents divorced when she was seven, and her mother subsequently married actor Mark Rylance, whose surname she adopted.
  26. ^ Ken[neth Wayne] Shamrock was born as Kenneth Wayne Kilpatrick. He bounced around between several group homes before being placed in Bob Shamrock's Boys' Home at age 14, in Susanville, California, where he turned his life around. Bob Shamrock legally adopted Ken as his son, and Ken changed his last name from Kilpatrick to Shamrock.
  27. ^ Christopher Donald Siegel was born in Malibu, California, the son of American film director Don Siegel and Swedish-American actress Viveca Lindfors. His parents divorced and Lindfors married Hungarian writer and director George Tabori. Christopher adopted his stepfather's surname and changed the English spelling of his forename.
  28. ^ Leigh Young was born on January 25, 1945, in Washington, D.C. She added the surname Taylor, which was the surname of her stepfather, a successful Detroit executive.
  29. ^ Kiri Te Kanawa was born as Claire Mary Teresa Rawstron in Gisborne, New Zealand, but adopted as an infant by Thomas Te Kanawa, a Māori, and his wife, Nell.
  30. ^ Louis William Tomlinson (One Direction) was born Louis Troy Austin to Johannah (née Poulston) and Troy Austin. His parents split up when he was young and he took the surname of his stepfather, Mark Tomlinson.
  31. ^ Steven Van Zandt was born Steven Lento in Winthrop, Massachusetts; his mother, Mary Lento, remarried when he was young, and Steven took the last name of his stepfather, William Van Zandt.
  32. ^ Suzanne Vega was born in 1959 in Santa Monica, California to Pat (née Schumacher), a computer systems analyst of German-Swedish heritage, and Richard Peck, of Scottish-English-Irish origin. They divorced soon after her birth and Suzanne's stepfather, Edgardo Vega Yunqué, whose surname she adopted, was a writer and teacher from Puerto Rico.
  33. ^ White was born Vanna Marie Rosich in Conway, South Carolina, the daughter of Joan Marie and Miguel Angel Rosich. Her father was of Puerto Rican and Croatian descent. He abandoned the family and White took the name of her stepfather, Herbert Stackley White Jr., a South Carolina real estate agent in what is now North Myrtle Beach.
  34. ^ Bibi Besch (and her elder sister) adopted their stepfather (Joseph Besch)'s surname after they were adopted.
  35. ^ Nancy Davis, later Mrs. Nancy Reagan, was born Anne Frances Robbins; she was adopted by her stepfather, Dr. Loyal Davis, whose surname she took.
  36. ^ Katherine DeMille was born Katherine Paula Lester in Canada and orphaned at an early age; she was adopted by Cecil B. DeMille and his wife, Constance.
  37. ^ Joan Fontaine was born Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland, but as her elder sister Olivia de Havilland had taken the family surname (de Havilland), Joan (after essaying such unsatisfying stage names as Joan Burfield and Joan St. John), decided to use her stepfather (Frank Fontaine)'s surname, notwithstanding both sisters' mutual dislike of their mother's husband.
  38. ^ Sterling Hayden was born Sterling Relyea Walter in Upper Montclair, New Jersey to George and Frances Walter; after his father's death, he was adopted at age 9 by his stepfather, James Hayden, and renamed Sterling Walter Hayden.
  39. ^ Yankee, Luke (2006). Just Outside the Spotlight: Growing Up with Eileen Heckart. BackStage Books. ISBN 0-8230-7888-4. OCLC 2006921113.
    Eileen Heckart was born from an out of wedlock relationship and briefly known as Anna Eileen Herbert; "Herbert" was quickly changed to Heckart, the surname of her maternal grandmother's wealthy second husband, who adopted the child.
  40. ^ "Biography of Charlton Heston". biography.com. March 18, 2010. Archived from the original on September 24, 2011. Retrieved December 11, 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
    Heston was born John Charles Carter, the son of Lila (née Charlton; 1899–1994) and Russell Whitford Carter (1897–1966). When Heston was 10 years old, his parents divorced. Shortly thereafter, his mother married Chester Heston, whose surname John Charles adopted, taking his mother's maiden name (Charlton) later as his forename.
  41. ^ Dorothy Lamour was born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton in New Orleans, Louisiana, the daughter of Carmen Louise (née LaPorte) and John Watson Slaton. Her parents' marriage lasted only a few years. Her mother remarried, to Clarence Lambour, whose surname Dorothy later adopted and modified as her stage name.
  42. ^ American musician, was born Arthur Taylor in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of Chester, a jazz cornet player, and Agnes Taylor, a school teacher. He and his mother moved to Los Angeles when he was five years old. In 1953 his mother married Clinton Lee, who adopted Arthur, who legally changed his name to Arthur Taylor Lee.
  43. ^ Art Linkletter was born Gordon Arthur Kelly, but his name was changed to Arthur Gordon Linkletter when he was adopted in infancy.
  44. ^ Lori March was born Lori von Eltz; she was adopted by her stepfather.
  45. ^ Melcher was born with his birth father's surname ("Jorden"), but was adopted by his stepfather (Marty Melcher), who married Terry's mother (Doris Day); Terry took Marty's surname.
  46. ^ Mary and Florence Nash were born to James H. Ryan, a lawyer, and his wife, Ellen Frances (née McNamara); the sisters adopted the surname of their stepfather, Philip F. Nash, a vaudeville booking executive, who married their mother after the death of their father.
  47. ^ Baby Jane Osborne was born Helen Alice Myres, but adopted by a couple surnamed Osborn under unclear circumstances, see Baby Jane Osborne obituary, New York Times, November 17, 2010.
  48. ^ Tracy Reed was born Clare Tracy Compton Pelissier, the daughter of the director Anthony Pelissier and actress Penelope Dudley-Ward; she took the surname of her stepfather, Sir Carol Reed, following her mother's remarriage in 1948.
  49. ^ Doris Roberts was born Doris May Green but her biological father abandoned the family and her mother later remarried, to Chester Roberts, whose surname the future actress adopted.
  50. ^ Ginger Rogers was born Virginia Katherine McMath. Her parents divorced and her name was changed to "Rogers", her stepfather's name, after her mother's remarriage.
  51. ^ Sylvia Sidney was born Sophia Kosow, but took the surname of her stepfather, Dr. Sigmund Sidney, a dentist, after he adopted her.
  52. ^ William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholoff was born in Goshen, New York. His mother and grandmother chose the names to reflect the different parts of his heritage: Joseph after Saint Joseph (Bible), Bonaparte (French), Bertholoff (biological father's last name), Smith (added when he was three, his stepfather's name), and William and Henry were added for "spiritual balance".
  53. ^ Smith, Willie the Lion (1964). Music on My Mind: The Memoirs of an American Pianist, Foreword by Duke Ellington. New York City: Doubleday & Company Inc. p. 5.
  54. ^ Alan Thicke was born Alan Willis Jeffery in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada. His stepfather was Dr. Brian Thicke, whose surname Alan legally adopted.
  55. ^ Grace Lee Whitney was born Mary Ann Chase, but her name was changed when she was adopted as a small child.
  56. ^ Born to Curtis and Angeline Hall, he adopted his father's forename to create a portmanteau professional name.
  57. ^ Daughter of Huntley Wright, she adopted her father's forename as part of her portmanteau stage name.
  58. ^ Birth name per Dorchester Historical Society website, dorchesterhistoricalsociety.org; accessed September 27, 2014.
  59. ^ Profile, findagrave.com; accessed September 27, 2014.
  60. ^ Stage name Johnny Cougar given to him by his manager in 1975; changed to John Cougar in 1979. Mellencamp has not used this name since 1982 and has not used the name John Cougar Mellencamp since 1989.
  61. ^ Nelson, Valerie J. (2011-05-28). "Irene Gilbert dies at 76; cofounder of Stella Adler's Los Angeles acting academy". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011-06-03.
  62. ^ "Deed poll certificate for Elton John" (PDF). Content.answers.com. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  63. ^ While performing in WWE, he has used "The Rock" exclusively since 1997. In his career as a film and television actor, he has mainly been credited as either Dwayne Johnson or Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
  64. ^ Tiny Tim (né Herbert Khaury) had no official middle name, though some web sites report it to be "Butros", his father's first name, while during his televised wedding his middle name was given as "Buckingham". His headstone reads "Khaury/Herbert B/Tiny Tim/1932-1996". "Tiny Tim photos at". Findagrave.com. 2004-04-21. Retrieved 2012-05-14.
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