5 Hollywood celebrities who changed their name: Tom Cruise, John Legend, etc.

In the impressive world of Hollywood, some of our favorite stars began their journeys with names quite different from what we know them by today.

From embracing a new identity for showbiz world to making their names more reachable, these Hollywood stars have added an extra layer of interest to their already enchanting careers.

Here are the top 5 Hollywood celebrities  who changed their names:

Vin Diesel:

Vin Diesel, who was born on July 18, 1967, is one of the most popular actors in Hollywood. His birth name was Mark Sinclair but later the star got the name Vin from his mom's married last name, which is Vincent. 

Moreover, the 56-year-old actor's surname Diesel was given by his pals because he was always full of energy. 

At the age of 7, Vin, who is one of the highest-grossing actors in Hollywood, made his first stage appearance in a kids' play called Dinosaur Door by Barbara Garson. He then later became an action hero, gaining fame as Dominic Toretto in the 2001 film The Fast and the Furious  and as Xander Cage in 2002 movie, XXX .

Katy Perry:

Katy Perry, an American singer, television personality and song writer, was born on October 25, 1984.  The Firework hitmaker switched from Katheryn Hudson to Katy Perry to avoid confusion with actress Kate Hudson.

 Katy is  one of the top-selling music artists globally, with over 143 million records sold. She also holds the record for the most U.S. diamond-certified singles among female artists, with four.

Miley Cyrus:

Miley Ray Cyrus, an American singer, actress and songwriter, was born on November 23, 1992. She was originally named as Destiny Hope Cyrus and then her parents have her the nickname Smiley due to her frequent smiles, which was then later shortened to Miley.

In 2008, she legally changed her name to Miley Ray Cyrus, honoring her grandfather Ronald Ray Cyrus, who was a Democratic politician from Kentucky. Miley is also known as the Teen Queen of 2000s pop culture.

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Furthermore, Miley holds the ninth spot among Billboard 200 female artists and has appeared in reputable lists like Time 100, Forbes 30, Under 30 (2014 and 2021), and Billboard's Greatest of All Time Artists 2019.

Tom Cruise:

Tom Cruise, one of the most famous Hollywood actors, was born in  Syracuse, New York on July 3, 1962 and initially had the name  Thomas Cruise Mapother.  His father, described as a "merchant of chaos," was abusive, which lead Tom to distance himself by dropping the name Mapother when his career took off.

In the 1980s, Tom started acting and gained fame with roles in films like Risky Business, released in 1983 and Top Gun, released in 1986. He has secured awards like an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Golden Globes and four Academy Award nominations.

Tom’s movies have earned over $4 billion in North America and $11.5 billion globally, which makes him one of the highest-grossing box-office actors. In 1990, he was also named as People's Sexiest Man Alive.

John Legend:

John Roger Stephens,  professionally known as John Legend, is an American actor and singer, born on December 28, 1978. In 2001, he was introduced to Kanye West by Devo Springsteen, and later John started singing the hooks in West's music.

After signing with West's label, he chose the stage name John Legend, based on a suggestion from poet J. Ivy, appreciating its "old-school sound." 

J. Ivy stated, "I heard your music and it reminds me of that music from the old school. You sound like one of the legends. As a matter of fact, that's what I'm going to call you from now on! I'm going to call you John Legend."

After J. Ivy started calling him by the name John Legend, many other people adopted this  including, Kanye West. Despite being initially unsure, John later embraced the name. 

John has secured a total of 12 Grammy Awards.  In 2007, he also earned the Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.