Many famous performers are known by names they chose or were given. Desiigner was born Sidney Royel Selby III, Gorilla Monsoon was Robert James Marella, and The Amazing Randi was Randall James Hamilton Zwinge. Stage names come from childhood nicknames, family history, a performer's persona, or simply a name that sounds better on a marquee.
A stage name is a name a performer uses in place of their legal name. Some are invented from scratch, some trim a long birth name, and some come from a nickname that simply stuck. Here are six names from our database, the real names behind them, and what the record says about where they came from.
Desiigner: Sidney Royel Selby III
The Brooklyn rapper behind "Panda," which topped the Billboard Hot 100, was born Sidney Royel Selby III in 1997 (Wikipedia). He spells his stage name with a double "i." The sources we checked don't explain where the name came from, so we won't guess. They do show he was already releasing music as Desiigner before he signed to Kanye West's GOOD Music label. Music runs in the family: he is the grandson of blues musician Sidney "Guitar Crusher" Selby.
Gorilla Monsoon: Robert James "Gino" Marella
Wrestling fans know him as the voice of the WWF, but Robert James Marella (1937 to 1999) first worked as a villainous super-heavyweight in the ring. "Gorilla Monsoon" was a ring name built for that act (Wikipedia). The name outlived his wrestling career: the staging area just behind the entrance curtain at wrestling shows is still called the "Gorilla Position" in his honor. Ironically, his high school teammates in Rochester, New York, called the 300-pound Marella "Tiny."
The Amazing Randi: Randall James Hamilton Zwinge
The magician and paranormal investigator was born Randall James Hamilton Zwinge (1928 to 2020). He performed as "The Amazing Randi," a name taken from his first name, Randall, and later went by James Randi (Wikipedia). After retiring from magic at 60 he focused on testing paranormal claims, and his foundation offered a $1 million prize to anyone who could demonstrate paranormal ability under agreed conditions. He preferred to be called an "investigator" rather than a "debunker."
ProZD: SungWon Cho
On YouTube he is ProZD; his real name is SungWon Cho, an American voice actor born in 1990 in Rochester, Minnesota (Wikipedia). He's known for short comedy skits and video game voice roles. Online handles like ProZD are the modern stage name: short, searchable and easy to brand, while the creator still credits professional voice work under his real name.
Stan Mikita: Stanislav Guoth
Not every name change is a stage name. Hockey Hall of Famer Stan Mikita was born Stanislav Guoth in Slovakia in 1940. He was adopted at age eight, moved to Canada, and grew up with his new family's surname (Wikipedia). Stanislav became Stanley, and "Stan Mikita" became one of the most famous names in Chicago sports during a 22-year career with the Black Hawks.
The "Yellow Kid": Joseph Weil
Nicknames can serve as stage names in less honorable trades too. Joseph Weil (1875 to 1976) was one of the best-known American con men of his era, known as the "Yellow Kid" and reputed to have taken more than $8 million (Wikipedia). His nickname became his brand, so much so that most histories of con artistry use it rather than his name.
Why performers change their names
Looking across these stories, a few patterns repeat:
- Persona. A ring name like Gorilla Monsoon sells a character.
- Memorability. "The Amazing Randi" is easier to put on a poster than a four-part birth name.
- Family and life events. Adoption, marriage and immigration change names, as with Stan Mikita.
- Platform branding. Online creators like ProZD pick handles that work as usernames and channel names.
Want more? Read how poker players got their nicknames and the history of pen names, or search any name on realnameof.com.
FAQ
What is Desiigner's real name? Sidney Royel Selby III.
What was Gorilla Monsoon's real name? Robert James "Gino" Marella (1937-1999).
Where did the name The Amazing Randi come from? It came from his first name, Randall. He was born Randall James Hamilton Zwinge and later went by James Randi.
Why do performers use stage names? Common reasons include building a persona, choosing a more memorable name, life events such as adoption or marriage, and branding for online platforms.