10 Celebs Who Changed Their Names

5. Meg Ryan

Speaking of shortening one’s name, Meg Ryan wasn’t born Meg. And her real name isn’t even Megan. This actress was born Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra but that’s way too long to remember and as an actress, you want something people can recall. So she went with a short and sweet Meg Ryan.

6. John Legend

Listen, a person born with a name like that is meant to be a star, success is imminent, right? But the truth is that’s not his real name. He was born John Roger Stephens. But who says you can’t pave your own path to stardom and project the life you want to live. Clearly, John Legend was just manifesting his dreams when he picked such a legendary last name.

7. Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj wasn’t always called that. But in order to make it in the music industry, you need a memorable name. A lot of artists changed their names completely, but Nicki just changed a couple of letters and spelled it differently. She was actually born Onika Tanya Maraj.