How 11 Celebs Got Their Stage Names

Ever wondered how stars come up with their stage names? The Chive rounds up the stories behind the names 22 celebs go by:

1. Iggy Azalea: Amethyst Amelia Kelly, as she was born, is not a fan of her real name. "Iggy" was the name of a dog she had as a kid, and "Azalea" was the street she lived on while she was growing up.
2. Tiger Woods: Eldrick Tont Woods' dad nicknamed him "Tiger" after his friend, who had the same nickname while serving in the military.
3. Lana Del Rey: Elizabeth Woolridge Grant wanted a more old-fashioned persona, and "Lana Del Rey" sounded glamorous to her.

4. Bruno Mars: Peter Gene Hernandez was nicknamed Bruno by his dad because he looked a lot like the professional wrestler Bruno Sammartino.
5. Lorde: Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor was very interested in royalty and the aristocracy, and liked the name "Lord"—but added the "e" to make it a little more feminine.
6. Louis CK: His birth last name, Szekely, is pronounced "see-kay."
7. Shania Twain: Eilleen Regina Edwards ultimately decided to take the last name of the man her mom married after divorcing her dad, Jerry Twain. She chose "Shania" as her first name because it means "on my way" in Ojibwa.
8. Miley Cyrus: Destiny Hope Cyrus was nicknamed "Smiley" when she was young, and shortened it to "Miley."
9. Michael Keaton: He was born Michael Douglas, but didn't want to be confused with the other Michael Douglas, so he chose a new last name after reading an article about Diane Keaton.
10. Olivia Wilde: Olivia Jane Cockburn chose her new last name as a tribute to Oscar Wilde after she performed in The Importance of Being Earnest as a high schooler.
11. Whoopi Goldberg: Caryn Elaine Johnson reportedly chose her new first name after the classic whoopee cushion, and her new last name because it sounded respectable.

Click for the complete list, including one person who was embarrassed that his original name had a cuss word in it. (More celebrity stories.)