There’s this Polish poet, Julian Tuwim. A funny story from his book: “…It reminds me of a story about a gentleman by the name of Abel, who went to America. There, they called him Ebel. So, he started spelling his name as Ebel. After that, they began calling him Ibel. He then wrote it as Ibel. Then they started calling him Aybel. And thus, on his business card appeared the surname Ajbel, which Americans pronounced as Edgebel. Later, the business card showed the surname Edżbel… Long story short, a few months later, Mr. Abel left America as Mr. Kопстручумчивадзе.”
That just came to my mind. Loads of famous people in the USA changed their names, for various reasons. And it was interesting to find out who— for me, quite a lot of new names.
Charles Aznavour, it turns out, was Shahnour Vaghinak Aznavourian. Sophia Loren — Sofia Villani Scicolone. Bob Dylan — Robert Allen Zimmerman (AAAA!). It’s common knowledge that Marilyn Monroe was Norma Jeane Mortenson. Elton John, turns out, is Reginald Kenneth Dwight. Our Jean Reno is not even French. He’s Juan Moreno Herrera Jiménez! Charlie Shein — Carlos Irvin Estévez. Demi Moore — Demetria Jean Guynes. Pablo Picasso — Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Ruiz-y-Picasso.
Marc Chagall was Moishe Zakharovich Shagalov. Cary Grant, the Hollywood legend, was Archibald Alexander Leach. Another legend, Natalie Wood — Natalia Zacharenko. “Joker” Joaquin Phoenix — Joaquin Raphael Bottom. Apparently, Bottom wasn’t the best surname for an acting career. Natalie Portman — Neta-Lee Hershlag, she’s Jewish. Kirk Douglas — Issur Danielovitch Demsky (AAAA!).
Lady Gaga — Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta.
Remember Avraam Russo? Abraham Ipjian. Syrian Armenian. Steven Tyler from Aerosmith, turns out his mother was Belarusian — Steven Victor Tallarico. Nicolas Cage — Nicolas Kim Coppola (yes, he’s related to Francis Ford Coppola).
Turns out, Mark Twain was Samuel Langhorne Clemens, and Hulk Hogan — Terry Eugene Bollea. Olivia Wilde — Olivia Cockburn. Helen Mirren (starred in Tinto Brass’s “Caligula” among other things) — Helen Lydia Mironoff, she’s Russian on her father’s side.
Hi, I'm Rauf Aliev. 