A nepo baby, referring to individuals who benefit from nepotism based on their familial relationships, typically enjoys the advantage of having easier access to opportunities in the industry, whether it's in entertainment or other fields.
Kendall Jenner, Brooklyn Beckham, and Lily-Rose Depp are just some of the handful of celebrities out there who have undoubtedly benefited from their notable last names, allowing them to pursue their interests without immediate financial concerns.
Nevertheless, other celebrities who were born into rich and famous families have chosen to drop their last names; rather, they have chosen to avoid being perceived as privileged individuals devoid of talents, bypass additional public scrutiny, or simply want to make a name of their own.
Bored Panda takes a look at 14 celebrities who changed their famous last names.
#1 Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie was born Angelina Jolie Voight in 1975 to actors Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand.
The 48-year-old humanitarian has had a lifelong dysfunctional relationship with her famous father, which began when the Ray Donovan actor left the family when Angelina was less than a year old.
In 2002, the Lara Croft star petitioned the court to legally remove her surname, Voight, in favor of her middle name, which she had long used as a stage name.
Image credits: angelinajolie
#2 Nicolas Cage
Believe it or not, Nicolas Cage is, in fact, a Coppola. Indeed, he was born Nicolas Kim Coppola.
At age 15, the Gone in 60 Seconds actor tried to convince his uncle, Francis Ford Coppola, to give him a screen test, telling him: "I'll show you acting." His outburst was met with "silence in the car," as per the New York Magazine.
At the time, Coppola had already directed big names such as Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Gene Hackman, and Robert De Niro.
Although early in his career, Nicolas appeared in some of his uncle's films. He subsequently changed his name to Nicolas Cage to avoid the appearance of nepotism as Coppola's nephew, the New York Times reported.
According to Biography.com, the actor’s choice of name was inspired by the Marvel Comics superhero Luke Cage and composer John Cage.
Image credits: Jimmy Kimmel Live
#3 Henry Wolfe
Henry Wolfe is a musician whose real name is Henry Gummer. He is also notably the only son of Meryl Streep and renowned American sculptor Don Gummer.
Like his sister Louisa, Henry uses his middle name professionally.
He once told American Songwriter, "Wolfe is my middle name. It was given to me, so I thought I might as well use it."
Image credits: henrywolfe
#4 Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde’s real name is Olivia Jane Cockburn, and she descends from a long line of talented artists.
The 39-year-old actress is related to Evelyn Waugh, author of Brideshead Revisited (he was her grandfather’s cousin).
According to Vogue, the novelist Emma Tennant was also a distant cousin, and her grandfather, Claud Cockburn, was a well-known journalist and writer who fought alongside Ernest Hemingway during the Spanish Civil War.
Additionally, Olivia’s father, Andrew Cockburn, is a famous British journalist, and her mother, Leslie Cockburn, also a journalist, was a producer on the American TV show 60 Minutes.
In high school, the Don’t Worry Darling director reportedly attended the same boarding school in Massachusetts as George Bush Snr and Jnr.
In honor of family members who wrote under pen names and for her love of Oscar Wilde, Olivia reportedly left Cockburn behind and changed her name.
Image credits: oliviawilde
#5 Norah Jones
Norah Jones was born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar to American concert producer Sue Jones and Indian Bengali musician Ravi Shankar.
At the age of 16, with both parents' consent, the Don’t Know Why hitmaker officially changed her name to Norah Jones.
The now 44-year-old singer reportedly had few dealings with her father until she was 18.
Image credits: norahjones
#6 Emilio Estevez
American actor and filmmaker Emilio Estevez is the son of actor Martin Sheen and the older brother of Charlie Sheen.
The Breakfast Club star technically didn't change his name, but he reportedly dulled the association with his famous father, Martin Sheen, by not opting for a stage name as his dad had done.
In 2023, Emilio told Today that his father deeply regretted not using his birth name professionally.
Image credits: akawilliamhbonney
#7 Joan Fontaine
Hollywood Golden Age star Joan Fontaine was born Joan de Havilland in 1917 in Tokyo, Japan.
She was the younger sister of fellow Old Hollywood actor Olivia de Havilland.
The Rebecca actress was discovered in the Warner Bros. parking lot while working as her sister's chauffeur, but she had to choose both a different studio and a different name because Olivia felt that "two de Havillands on the marquee would be too many."
Image credits: IMDB
#8 Louisa Jacobson
Louisa Jacobson’s birth name is Louisa Gummer. She is the daughter of Meryl Streep and Don Gummer.
While her sisters, Mamie and Grace Gummer, act under their real names, she uses her middle name because there's already another actor working under the name Louisa Gummer.
Image credits: louisa_jacobson
#9 Leila George
31-year-old model Leila George, whose real name is Leila D'Onofrio, is the daughter of fellow actors Vincent D'Onofrio and Greta Scacchi.
Leila has been using her middle name as a stage name.
Image credits: Vogue Australia
#10 Elle King
Singer-songwriter Elle King was born Tanner Elle Schneider and is the daughter of comedian, actor, and former SNL star Rob Schneider.
Nevertheless, the Ex’s and Oh’s singer goes by her middle name and mom's maiden name.
“It's not that I wanted to be a famous person. I wanted to be a performer,” Elle told ABC News in 2015.
Image credits: elleking
#11 King Princess
King Princess was born Mikaela Mullaney Straus in Brooklyn, New York, in 1998.
Growing up, she spent a long time in recording studios with her dad, Oliver Straus, who is a recording engineer.
Moreover, Oliver is the owner of the studio Mission Sounds, where bands such as the Arctic Monkeys have worked. This is where King Princess recorded her debut album Cheap Queens.
The Straus family's last name is also well-known outside the music industry. Isidor Straus, King Princess's great-great-grandfather, co-owned Macy's, and he and his wife, Ida, were the Titanic passengers who inspired the couple who refused to leave without each other and died together onboard the ship in James Cameron's Titanic.
Image credits: kingprincess69
#12 Tori Spelling
Tori Spelling is the daughter of producer Aaron Spelling.
According to Buzzfeed, she first heard about Beverly Hills, 90210 from her agent, but after the agent told her that her dad was executive producing it, she opted to audition under the stage name Tori Mitchell.
The actress’ fake name at the time was borrowed from a Heather Locklear character.
Image credits: torispelling
#13 Mabel
Don’t Call Me Up hitmaker Mabel was born Mabel McVey in 1996 in Spain.
She is the daughter of singer, songwriter, and producer Cameron McVey and singer Neneh Cherry.
Nevertheless, the 27-year-old songstress goes by the stage name Mabel. Her sister, Tyson, also sings under a mononym.
Image credits: mabel
#14 Olivia Jade
Olivia Jade was born Olivia Jade Giannulli and is the daughter of actor Lori Loughlin and fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, who both spent time in prison for bribing their two daughters' way into the University of Southern California (USC).
In high school, the 24-year-old influencer started her YouTube channel using her middle name, becoming a prominent figure on the internet under the name Olivia Jade.
Image credits: oliviajade
