While some of the most iconic celebrities stick to their real names, others are better known for something else. How many of you know who Neta-Lee Hershlag is? Doesn’t ring a bell? I guess we’ve all heard of Natalie Portman, though.  

You can Google a long list of different artists using their stage names — from Fast & Furious star, Mark Sinclair, a.k.a Vin Diesel to famous rapper Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, professionally known as Nicki Minaj.

Why do you think these celebrities decided to rebrand themselves before they were famous? 

Young stars might need to introduce themselves with a new moniker for some reasons. Perhaps, they were given a birth name with too many syllables or an unfortunate connotation that is hardly or maybe hilariously pronounced. 

Sometimes, it is the celebrity management company that decides whether their stars stick to their birth names or establish a new persona. Either way, a remarkable brand name is an important ingredient in helping the artists to craft their public image, connect with the audience, and separate the limelight from their private lives.     

If you are on your journey to stardom and still thinking of a catchy stage name to label yourself, here are a few tips to follow: 

Simplify Your Birth Name. 

If you think the name given to you is too precious to replace, there’s one way you can create a stage name out of it so you won’t have to change your name completely. Many celebrities have tried simplifying their real names to come up with a more remarkable moniker. This simply works to icons with names that are particularly long or too hard to pronounce. Some real life examples include Katy Perry (born Katherine Elizabeth Perry Hudson), Angelina Jollie (born Angelina Jollie Voight), and of course the controversial name of Freddy Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara). 

There are different ways to come up with a simplified version of your birth name. Katy Perry cut Katherine into Katy and used her mother’s maiden name for a more simplified version of her name. Angelina chose to keep her second name instead of her surname Voight. Or you can use a single name just like what Beyoncé (born Beyoncé Giselle Knowles) and Madonna (born Madonna Louise Ciccone) did.   

Develop your onstage persona. 

Metaphorically speaking, the stage name is the brand while music is the product when it comes to music artists. Since performing tends to bring out a different side of a celebrity, you must create a name that well represents your brand.     

Choose a mysterious, marketable stage name.

As a rising artist, your goal is to sell your craft by introducing yourself to the audience. Think about Pink, Panic! At the Disco, and The Weekend. These names are quite random but the first time people hear about them, they start being curious and asking if The Weekend is a person’s name or a band’s? The thing is that mysterious monikers are like baits that attract people’s attention and increase online searches for the artist. Since we all like solving mysteries, we don’t stop by figuring out who these icons are. Instead, people will start digging more information by listening to their music or watching their films and channels.    

Be consistent.

Once you have come up with a perfect stage name, you need to be consistent in using it. Learn to get used to that name to enlive that persona of yours. Start by changing your social media accounts name with your moniker so that supporters will have no problem locating you, your music, and project updates.