When it comes to being a celebrity, there are certain standards that they must adhere to in order to become one of the greats. Meaning, they must change certain aspects of themselves to do this such as their look, their style or even their name.

Almost everyone in Hollywood has changed a part of their name, either because another celebrity has the same exact name, or they don’t want to be associated with a famous relative, or they feel their normal name is boring, too long, or hard to pronounce so they change it.

Regardless of why they do it, the point is that there are tons of actors, actresses, singers and other musicians over in Hollywood who are using stage names. Here are 20 of them…

20 Michael Keaton Changed His Name Because There Was An Actor Already With His Name

When Michael Keaton decided he wanted to be an actor, he had no choice but to change his real name.

According to cheatsheet.com, Michael’s real name is Michael Douglas and since there was already an established actor with the name Michael Douglas and Keaton was up and coming, he was the one who had to change.

19 Nicolas Cage Wanted To Avoid Anyone Comparing Him To His Famous Uncle

Nicolas Cage changed his name in order to avoid being compared to his famous uncle who is a director.

According to cheatsheet.com, his real name is Nicolas Kim Coppola, while his uncle’s name is Francis Ford Coppola. Thankfully the change worked for him and very few people know that the two are even related.

18 Oprah Winfrey Changed Her Name Because No One Could Pronounce Her First Name

It’s hard to believe that the iconic Oprah Winfrey is using a fake name. But, to be fair, her real name isn’t that far off.

According to cheatsheet.com, Oprah was originally born Orpah. Many people had a hard time pronouncing it though and would just say “Oprah.” Eventually, the name stuck.

17 Jamie Foxx Changed His Name To A Unisex Name To Help With Popularity

Jamie Foxx actually made up both his first name and last name.

According to cheatsheet.com, Jamie was born Eric Marlon Bishop but changed it because when he started stand up comedy, he realized that female comedians were always asked to perform first. Hence, Jamie Foxx, since it sounded like a unisex name.

16 Andrew Lincoln's Agent Told Him To Change His Name Because Of How Goofy It Sounded

When Andrew Lincoln joined the acting business, his agent was adamant that he changed his name.

According to cheatsheet.com, Lincoln was born Andrew James Clutterbuck, and his agent made him change it, not because there was another actor known with the name, but because it sounded goofy. He later admitted that his father was upset over it and his granddad refused to speak to him for a while.

15 Winona Ryder Changed Her Name As Tribute To Musician Mitch Ryder

Winona Ryder was actually born Winona Laura Horowitz.

According to cheatsheet.com, when she decided to start acting, she chose the stage name Winona Ryder as a tribute to the musician Mitch Ryder.

Charlie Sheen was there when she decided and actually takes credit for coming up for it, saying it was his idea.

14 Olivia Wilde's Mother Wanted Her To Have An Identity Outside Her Family

When Olivia Wilde decided she wanted to be an actress, her mother suggested that she change her name in order to have an identity outside the family.

According to cheatsheet.com, Olivia’s real name is Olivia Jane Cockburn. She later explained in an interview that she chose the name as a tribute to Oscar Wilde, whom she respects greatly.

13 Nicki Minaj Was Forced To Change Her Name

When Nicki Minaj first got signed, she had no say in her the changing of her name.

According to cheatsheet.com, Nicki was born Onika Tanya Maraj, but someone changed it to Nicki Minaj when she was signed to her first production deal. She fought tooth and nail but later was convinced to keep it. She still hates it to this day.

12 Alicia Keys Changed Her Name To Something That Suited The Stage More

Alicia Keys wanted a name better suited for the stage when she first started.

According to harpersbazaar.com, Alicia was actually born Alicia Augello-Cook. When she first was trying to decide on a name, she originally thought about going with Alicia Wild, but her mother thought it sounded to provocative, almost like a name a “dancer” would choose.

11 The Weeknd Hated His Real Name And Wanted Something Cooler

The Weeknd chose his name as a teenager after he left home.

According to harpersbazaar.com, The Weeknd was born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye but decided to change it because he hated his real name. He also decided to remove the “e” in Weekend due to a Canadian band whose name is The Weekend.