I have now been divorced for 7 years and I have this burning desire to change my last name. I don’t think I want to get married again, so this is something I have to choose to do. I kept my ex-husband’s name because my girls carried that name, but now they are all married, so I am the only one who still uses my ex’s family name. It doesn’t suit me anymore. I have moved on but I am in a quandary as to what to do.
I started doing a little research on famous people who had changed their names. They wanted to become stars and so do I, just on a much smaller scale. It would feel good to reinvent myself a bit. Once I started reading up on what celebrities changed their names to, I realized that I have only one chance to do this right. I have to decide on what suits me best for my life going forward. If I get to choose a new last name, let it be something that rolls off the tongue and people will remember.
So, in the course of my name investigation, I had a lot of fun. It made me laugh to imagine using the person’s real name instead of their stage name in association with the things they were famous for. As an example, I have always thought that Jane Seymour was such a beautiful woman. Her petite frame, her gorgeous “romance novel” long hair and her delicate English accent made her stand out from so many other actresses. Imagine if she had depended only on her stunning attributes to carry her to fame. Would she have ever gone on to Dr.Quinn, Medicine Woman or even Dancing with the Stars if she had remained Joyce Penelope Frankenberg?
Can you fathom a badass movie like Diehard with a star named Walter Willis? Good move Bruce. And I wonder if Coco would have been as attracted to Ice-T if she met him as Tracy Marrow? It’s pretty cool to have a husband named “Ice”, no pun intended. I like to think about her asking him to bring her a glass of lemonade with extra ice… how sexy. Names can be very powerful.
Even if you are given a nice sounding name, it doesn’t always have enough “oomph” to get you to the top. Dana Elaine Owens is a lovely name for a pretty lady. Queen Latifah, however, is the bomb. As for comedian Chevy Chase, that’s not his given name. It’s actually Cornelius Chase, which is just about as funny. Did you know that Marie Osmond’s real name is Olive? I really can’t picture a marquis that reads Donny and Olive. Can you?
Some famous people start out with great names but have to change them because other famous people have already used them. Singer Katy Perry’s real name is Katherine “Kate” Hudson. Goldie Hawn’s daughter made a change necessary. Comedian/actor Albert Brooks had a great original name... Albert Einstein. He had no choice but to change it. And actor Michael Keaton should have been born a bit earlier if he wanted to keep his real name, Michael Douglas.
I never knew that so many singers changed their names and it’s been going on for a long time. Eleanora Fagan must have known she was going to be legend. And Billie Holiday certainly is. Barry Manilow just couldn’t see Barry Pincus in neon lights. I agree with his decision. The name Gordon Sumner sounds like an accountant. Sting is much sexier. Would a man named Reginald Kenneth Dwight wow you as much as a man named Elton John? I think not.
Even though I am only thinking of changing my last name, I do like the impact that people make with just being known by one name. Elvis, Aretha, Madonna, Cher, Liberace, Demi and Bono… all are instantly recognized by the world. To be honest, I think I might go with the one name concept. It gives me instant recognition in my world and that’s pretty amazing. It should work out great. Everyone who doesn’t call me Fifi calls me Sister, Mom, Honey, or Baby. Yep, watch out, Elvis, Aretha, Madonna, Cher, Liberace, Demi and Bono… I’m comin’ in!
