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    23 Very True Stories Behind Celebs’ Very Fake Stage Names

    What's in a name?

    Not every celeb is born with a name they want to see in lights, so they often choose a stage name to help them stand out. The reasoning behind the names they choose can range from sweetly sentimental to absolutely wild.

    Here are the stories behind 23 celebrity stage names:

    1. Iggy Azalea used to wear a necklace with her dog's name on it, and she decided to use it as her stage name when people kept asking if the name on the necklace was hers.

    "Fancy" singer

    2. Halsey's stage name is both an anagram of their first name and an homage to a street in Brooklyn that used to be their train stop.

    "Without Me" singer

    3. Cardi B's nickname growing up was Bacardi because her sister's name is Hennessy, but she shortened it after her Instagram account kept getting deleted.

    4. The Weeknd took the final "e" out of his name because of copyright issues with a Canadian band called the Weekend.

    5. Chumbawamba member Alice Nutter changed her legal name to that of a woman who was accused of witchcraft and hanged in 1612.

    6. Snoop Dogg's mom nicknamed him after Snoopy because of how much he loved the Peanuts character growing up.

    "Drop It Like It's Hot" singer

    7. Lizzo's name was inspired by the Jay-Z song "Izzo."

    8. Lil Nas X chose his stage name because "every new rapper’s name is Lil," and he thought calling himself "Lil Nas" would be funny.

    "Old Town Road" singer

    9. Lady Gaga's producer Rob Fusari nicknamed her "Gaga" after the Queen song "Radio Ga Ga," and she added "Lady" because of its regal connotations.

    "Poker Face" singer

    10. Nicki Minaj fought with a manager who wanted to change her name from "Maraj" to "Minaj," and she's "always hated it."

    11. Vin Diesel's name is a combination of his stepfather Irving Vincent's name and a nickname he earned as a "fueled up" club bouncer.

    voice of Rocket Raccoon

    12. Reese Witherspoon adopted her mother's maiden name as her first name early in her acting career.

    actor who plays Elle Woods in "Legally Blonde"

    13. After dropping his first EP, Hozier shortened his name because he felt it would be "easier to remember."

    14. Jay-Z chose his stage name to honor Jaz-O, his mentor and producer.

    "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" singer

    15. Awkwafina's stage name refers to the "high school kid that doesn’t really care about anything," whom she repressed during college.

    actor who played Peik Lin Goh in "Crazy Rich Asians"

    16. Olivia Wilde changed her last name to honor writer Oscar Wilde after playing Gwendolen in a high school production of The Importance of Being Earnest.

    "Booksmart" director

    17. When he was 14, Eminem started rapping under the name "M&M," which were his initials, and it evolved into "Eminem."

    "Stan" singer

    18. Vanilla Ice uses a nickname he earned as a teenager because of his pale complexion and a dance move he invented that mimicks sliding on ice.

    "Ice Ice Baby" singer

    19. Lorde chose her stage name because she's fascinated with aristocracy, but she added the "e" to make it "more feminine."

    20. John Legend took on his stage name after the nickname became more well-known in his social circle than his real name.

    "All of Me" singer

    21. P!nk's stage name is a reference to Mr. Pink, Steve Buscemi's Reservoir Dogs character.

    "Raise Your Glass" singer

    22. Frank Ocean took inspiration from Frank Sinatra and Ocean's 11 when choosing his stage name.

    "Thinkin Bout You" singer

    23. And finally, when her real name was already taken at SAG, Emma Stone named herself after Emma Bunton, otherwise known as Baby Spice.

    actor who plays Mia Dolan in "La La Land"