Reading
Choosing Names
In Spanish, use this list of famous people who have changed their names to explore the relationship between names and identity.
The left column includes names you might recognize. The right column shows the birth name of each individual in the left column.
Chosen Name |
Birth Name |
| Jay-Z | Shawn Corey Carter |
| Lady Gaga | Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta |
| Jon Stewart | Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz |
| Mark Twain | Samuel Langhorne Clemens |
| Muhammad Ali | Cassius Clay |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr. |
| Nina Dobrev | Nikolina Konstantinova Dobreva |
| Jamie Foxx | Eric Marlon Bishop |
| Lorde | Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor |
| Charlie Sheen | Carlos Irwin Estévez |
| Nicki Minaj | Onika Tanya Maraj |
| Bruno Mars | Peter Gene Bayot Hernandez |
| Faith Hill | Audrey Perry |
| Lana Del Rey | Elizabeth Grant |
| Vin Diesel | Mark Vincent |
| Marilyn Monroe | Norma Jeane Mortenson |
| Dr. Seuss | Theodor Geisel |
| Dick Lewis Barnett | Dick Lewis Smith |
| Thomas Grant | Jeff Davis |
Supporting Materials
How to Cite This Reading
Facing History & Ourselves, “Choosing Names,” last updated June 17, 2017.
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Most teachers are willing to tackle the difficult topics, but we need the tools.
—
Gabriela Calderon-Espinal, Bay Shore, NY
