Updated November 29, 2022 9.3k votes 1.1k voters 172.7k views
Voting Rules
Vote up the most questionable changes to celebrity names.
Whether it was before they were famous or after they had established their careers, all of the following celebrities for one reason or another adopted new, flashy names. (Hey, we can't all be born with awesome names like Blue Ivy Carter or Fifi Trixibelle or even North West.)
What are some funny celebrity name changes? We've rounded up our favorites on this list. Which ones do you think weren't worth making?
Nope, it's not his real name. Born Arnold George Dorsey, the singer went by Gerry Dorsey professionally for a while and then changed his name in 1965 and did a career re-launch.
The Los Angeles Lakers forward and former Dancing with the Stars contestant formerly known as Ron Artest legally changed his name to Metta World Peace in September 2011.
The NBA star later explained that Chad Ochocinco inspired the change and that "changing my name was meant to inspire and bring youth together all around the world."
Age: 43
Birthplace: Queensbridge, New York City, New York, United States of America
After first adopting the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard, or simple ODB, the late Wu-Tang Clan rapper born Russell Tyrone Jones grew tired of his unflattering stage name in 1998.
Just after announcing his solo career, he also announced a name change to "Big Baby Jesus." He managed to crank out three solo albums in between jail stints before passing away from a drug overdose in 2004.
Age: Dec. at 35 (1968-2004)
Birthplace: Fort Greene, New York City, New York, United States of America
Profession: Master of Ceremonies, Record producer, Rapper, Composer
Born Raymond Ian Burns, Captain Sensible was the founding bass player, and later the guitar player, for the groundbreaking UK punk band the Damned. They were the first punks to record, chart, and tour the US. He played with the band, often wearing a tutu, a nurse's uniform, or nothing, from 1976 until 1984, when he started his solo career.
According to sources, he changed his name to “Captain Sensible” because of his reckless behavior. It was also because he didn't want the dole office to know he was working as a musician, as was customary at the time.
NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson legally changed his name to Chad Ochocinco, a poor Spanish translation of his jersey number, 85, in 2008.
He previously used the name Ochocinco on his Cincinnati Bengals jersey, which earned him a fine from the league, but once the name change was legal, the NFL was forced to use his new moniker.
