The Real Names of the Stars of Old Hollywood

The many books I have read about iconic Hollywood legends have a similar theme - a young talent from humble beginnings moves to Hollywood, gets signed to a film studio and as well as having a glamorous makeover, is also given a glamorous stage name. I find pseudonyms and stage names fascinating, I myself have one. So I gathered a collection of stars with the names they were born with, with pictures of them at their most iconic contrasted to before they made it in Hollywood.

Marilyn Monroe - Norma Jeane Mortenson

She is so iconic that a lot of people actually know her birth name. Known for her personal life as much as she was her films (including Some Like It Hot and The Seven Year Itch). She and 20th Century Fox executive Ben Lyon selected the stage name "Marilyn Monroe" The first name was picked by Lyon, who was reminded of Broadway star Marilyn Miller; the last was picked by Monroe after her mother's maiden name

Cary Grant - Archibald Alexander.

The original leading man, Cary Grant starred in An Affair to Remember, Bringing Up Baby and To Catch a Thief. His English nationality was reflected in his birth name and Paramount Executive's demanded that he change his name to "something that sounded more all-American like Gary Cooper", and they eventually agreed on Cary Grant.

Bing Crosby - Harry Lillis Crosby, Jr

Bing Crosby was the number one selling artist of the 20th century. You would have heard his beautiful voice singing Christmas songs to you, my favourite being White Christmas. He is also considered one of the best movie stars to have ever lived. Unlike many stars, Harry Crosby did not change his name for fame - he was actually nicknamed 'Bingo' aged 10, which eventually became Bing.

Judy Garland - Frances Ethel Gumm

The iconic actress and singer, known by everyone for her starring role in Wizard of Oz. In 1934, Frances Gumm and her sisters, who were a dance and film trio, changed their names to The Garland Sisters. Frances changed her name to Judy soon after inspired by her favourite song.

Joan Crawford - Lucille Fay LeSueur

I personally do not understand why anyone called Lucille LeSueur would ever want to be known by any other name. However, MGM changed her name to the Joan Crawford for three reasons. Lucille LeSeur had been living a very promiscuious life and MGM wanted to get away from that image. Secondly, her name seemed made up which suggested she came from low means. And lastly, the american accent pronounced LeSeuer as Le Sewer. She starred in Mildred Pierce, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane and Possessed.

Ginger Rogers - Virginia Katherine McMath

The amount of hours I have spent watching Ginger Rodgers dance with her dance partner, Fred Astaire. Fred and Ginger ruled 1930s Hollywood with films such as Top Hat and Swing Time. Her name actually came from the her name Virginia - Ginga as her baby cousin could not pronounce her name. She changed Ginga to Ginger for her first double act performance.

Rita Hayworth - Margarita Carmen Cansino

One of the most beautiful and glamorous actresses and dancers of the 1940s. You may know her from Gilda and Cover Girl. The racism in Hollywood regarding actors and actresses being too 'ethnic' led to a name change as well as changing her gorgeous dark hair to the equally gorgeous red hair we all know her for (I say that as a redhead, who growing up felt proud of my hair because of this beauty!)

Sofia Loren - Sofia Scicolone

The Italian Goddess. Known for her roles in films such as Houseboat, It Started in Naples and as recent as 2009 - Nine. She created her stage name in 1952 inspired by the name of actress Marta Toren.

Jean Harlow - Harlean Carpenter

Jean Harlow starred in so many hit films during the 1930s that at one point her popularity surpassed Joan Crawford and other stars of the time. However, her life was cut short when she died at the young age of 26 from kidney disease. The name Jean Harlow was actually her mothers name and maiden surname.

Lauren Bacall - Betty Joan Perske

Lauren Bacall's sultry voice and eyes have graced the screens in films such as The Mirror has Two Faces and How To Marry A Millionaire. The Hollywood agent Howard Hark changed her name to Lauren and took the surname her mother had legally changed to years before.

Hedy Lamarr - Hedwig Eva Kiesler

Hedwig may be the coolest name ever, especially to certain book-readers out there, but she was convinced to change it once she had emigrated from Austria to America. Lamarr was an homage to the actress Babara La Marr. She was known as the most beautiful women in the world and starred in such films as Samson and Delilah and I Take This Woman.

Debbie Reynolds - Mary Frances Reynolds

Modern day audiences may know Debbie as the mother of Carrie Fisher, but Debbie was one of the most incredible dancers and actresses of her time. Of course Singing in The Rain is still loved as much today as it was then and her other films such as The Unsinkable Molly Brown and Tammy and The Bachelor show how amazing she was. The name Debbie was given to her by MGM.

Tony Curtis - Bernard Schwartz

You may recognise Tony Curtis from Some Like It Hot, The Last Tycoon and Spartacus. When he signed to MGM he changed his name - 'Tony' was from the novel Anthony Adverse and "Curtis" was from Kurtz, a surname in his mother's family

Barry Fitzgerald - William Joseph

Irish scene stealer Barry Fitzgerald was known for films such as Going My Way, Bringing Up Baby and The Quiet Man. Regarding his stage name I found this in a 1945 New York Times article: "Uncertain whether his superiors in the Government service would approve of his stage activities, he had a talk with the man in charge of programs at the Abbey Theatre about assuming a stage name. That is how Barry Fitzgerald was born."