If That Is Your Real Name...
by Mike KrumboltzJun 24, 2008
Those born with a thirst for fame as well as an unfortunate (or boring) moniker face a tougher road to the A-list. So it's no wonder that many celebs choose to drop their given name for something a bit more... catchy.
Of course, the gawking public isn't dumb. They know the odds are slim that Sting was born with such an evocative handle. Each week we see an avalanche of searches for celebrity "real names." Folks look up the obvious stage names (Larry the Cable Guy) as well as some that are a tad more subtle (John Wayne). Some of the lookups are met with disappointment. Madonna's real name is, in fact, Madonna. Same deal with Prince.
Below we list the 20 top "real name" searches from the past week. Madonna and Tiger top the list, but you'll find all sorts of actors, athletes, and musicians in the mix. Most people stick with the name they're given. Celebrities are not "most people."
| 1. | Tiger Woods Real Name (Eldrick Woods) | 11. | Bow Wow Real Name (Shad Gregory Moss) | |
| 2. | Madonna Real Name (Madonna Ciccone) | 12. | Soulja Boy Real Name (DeAndre Ramone Way) | |
| 3. | Lil' Wayne Real Name (Dwayne Carter Jr.) | 13. | Triple H Real Name (Paul Michael Levesque) | |
| 4. | Miley Cyrus Real Name (Destiny Hope Cyrus) | 14. | Bono Real Name (Paul Hewson) | |
| 5. | Coco Crisp Real Name (Covelli Crisp) | 15. | Sting's Real Name (Gordon Sumner) | |
| 6. | Hilary Banks Real Name (played by Karyn Parsons) | 16. | Jay-Z's Real Name (Shawn Carter) | |
| 7. | Gene Simmons Real Name (Chaim Witz) | 17. | Tila Tequila Real Name (Tila Nguyen) | |
| 8. | Hulk Hogan Real Name (Terry Bollea) | 18. | Marilyn Manson Real Name (Brian Warner) | |
| 9. | Larry the Cable Guy (Daniel Lawrence Whitney) | 19. | John Wayne Real Name (Marion Morrison) | |
| 10. | Ray Stevens Real Name (Harold Ray Ragsdale) | 20. | Prince's Real Name (Prince Rogers Nelson) |
