Names

Ok, sorry for the totally and utterly useless posts lately, but sometimes I've just gotta be silly and nonsensical.

I am obsessed with names. I love them. When I can't sleep at night, I lay awake thinking of names and wondering what they mean, and pairing two names together. I just can't get enough.

So tonight, since my hubby is gone, I was on the computer. Catching up on blogs, surfing the net, etc... Eventually I headed over to a baby name page to type in names and find out their meanings. Meanings of names are very important to me. I don't choose a name based solely on it's meaning, but if it has a weird one, I won't choose the name. Case in point: I love the name Cole. But, it means "cabbage farmer". Um, no thank you. :-P

Anyway, in my searching and reading and perusing I happened upon a "Celebrity Real Names" site. Interesting stuff. For example:

Kim Cattrall of Sex and the City fame's real name is Clare Woodworth.

Akon's (don't know who he is, but apparently he's a singer) real name is, get this:
Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara. I don't know how he got "Akon" out of that, but more power to him. His parents were just downright cruel!

Jason Alexander from Seinfeld is Jay Scott Greenspan.

Brigitte Bardot was originally Camille Javal.

Bo Bice from American Idol was named Harold Elwin Bice, Jr at birth.

Lisa Bonet changed her last name because it was... Boney.

Garth Brooks wouldn't have been so manly if people had called him by his given name of Troyal.

Jackie Chan is also known as Kong-Sang Chan.

Elvis Costello certainly thought highly of himself, naming himself after The King. His parents chose the name Declan Patrick McManus for him.

Dido, the singer (love her music) changed her name because she would've had to spend hours and hours autographing memorabilia for her fans with her original moniker: Florian Cloud de Bounevialle Armstrong

Portia De Rossi, of Ally McBeal and Ellen DeGeneres fame? Yeah, her name is really Amanda Lee Rogers! So not as glamorous.

Snoop Dogg is Cordazer Calvin Broadus. Um, yeah. Go Snoopy!

Farrah Fawcett's parents must've liked rhymes... Mary Farrah Lori Fawcett

Jenna Fischer, from The Office? Her name is Regina Marie. Oooh, Michael Scott could've had a field day with that one.

Lady Gaga's real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta.

Whoopi Goldberg wasn't named that on her birth day. Her parents chose Caryn Elaine!

Carey Grant was Archibald Leach.

Macy Gray changed her name from Natalie Renee McIntyre.

The iconic Audrey Hepburn didn't have such a classical name. Edda Kathleen van Heemstra Hepburn-Ruston.

Elton John was called Reginald Kenneth Dwight.

The Judd's have a thing for changing their names. Naomi was Diana Ellen while Wynonna was Christina Claire.

LL Cool J is AKA James Todd Smith.

You know down to earth Ann Landers? Her name is really Esther "Eppie" Pauline Friedman Lederer.

Queen Latifah is Dana Owens.

Spike Lee is really Shelton Jackson Lee.

Bob Marley is Nesta Robert Marley. Can see why he'd want to change it. Don't want to get confused with Nestea.

Peter Marshall definitely had reason to change his name from Pierre La Cock.

Chuck Norris is really Carlos Ray!

Pink is really Alicia Moore.

Ty Pennington is really Tygert Bruton!!

Meg Ryan shortened her name considerably from Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra.

Sting isn't so fierce when called by his given name of Gordon.

Tina Turner was born Anna Mae.

Shania Twain was Eileen Regina.

John Wayne was Marion Michael.

Bruce Willis is really a WALTER!!!!

Tiger Woods wasn't really named Tiger. He was named Eldrick.

That about wraps it up. It is way, way, way past my bedtime, but that was fun, dontcha think?

I promise, more substantial posts will be coming. I just don't know when.