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Today is National Name Yourself Day! You can rename yourself for the day or get it permanently changed, it’s completely up to you. Take a look at these celebrities who changed their name.

National Name Yourself Day: Celebrities Who Changed Their Names  was originally published on blackamericaweb.com

1. John Legend

John Legend

John Legend was born John Rodgers Stephens. The “Legend ” part of his name came from a childhood nickname that turned into his stage name.

(AP)

2. Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne’s real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr.

(AP)

3. Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars

Bruno’s real name is Peter Gene Hernandez. He changed his name so that he wouldn’t become a stereotype in Latin music.

(AP)

4. Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys real name is Alicia Augello Cook. She’s an amazing piano player no naturally she changed her name to Keys.

(AP)

5. Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx

Foxx’s real name is Eric Marion Bishop. When he was first starting out as a comedian, Foxx noticed that female comedian would get called first so he chose a gender-neutral name.

(PR Photo)

6. Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj

Nicki’s real name is Onika Tanya Maraj.

(AP)

7. Drake

Drake

Drake’s real name is Aubrey Drake Graham. I think you can guess why he goes by Drake, however, Aubrey is a great name.

(AP)

8. Vin Diesel

Vin Diesel

Vin Diesel’s real name is Mark-Sinclair Vincent. He used to be a bouncer in New York before making it big and he wanted a shorter name to use when checking people’s ID’s.

(PR)

9. Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi was born Caryn Elaine Johnson. That’s nowhere near close to her stage name. In the pass, she’s said that her name comes from whooppee cushion.

(AP)

10. Jay-Z

Jay-Z

Jay-Z’s real name is Shawn Carter. As a kid he was called Jazzy but when he got older he wanted to pay tribute to Jay-O so he choose Jay-Z.

(AP)