# Entertainers who took their name from/share one with historical or literary figures **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 8, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-who-took-their-name-from-share-one-with-historical-or-literary-figures/484858 "2009-02-08T00:12:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-who-took-their-name-from-share-one-with-historical-or-literary-figures/484858/1 "2009-02-08T00:12:52Z")
I know there are more of these but I can’t recall them at the moment. Jane Seymour (born Joanne Frankenberg, took her name from the third wife of Henry VIII). Engelbert Humperdinck (born George Dorsey, took his name from the [19th century German composer](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engelbert_Humperdinck)). Anne Shirley (actress born Dawn Paris [a good name in and of itself for an actress] who changed it to Dawn O’Day and then changed it to honor her character when she starred in _[Anne of Green Gables](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024831/)_). Paul Revere of the group PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS really was born with that name, though his name at birth was Paul Revere Dick. He sliced it off to go into show biz. Who are some others? I feel I’m missing someone really obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-who-took-their-name-from-share-one-with-historical-or-literary-figures/484858/2 "2009-02-08T00:37:40Z")
John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), born John Baldwin. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-who-took-their-name-from-share-one-with-historical-or-literary-figures/484858/3 "2009-02-08T00:58:40Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I feel I’m missing someone really obvious. Richard Burton springs to mind. Actually the first name that came to mind was Marilyn Manson but I don’t think that’s what you meant 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-who-took-their-name-from-share-one-with-historical-or-literary-figures/484858/4 "2009-02-08T01:02:10Z")
Jethro Tull, though that’s technically the name of the group. ---
**Author:** ![rolandgunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-who-took-their-name-from-share-one-with-historical-or-literary-figures/484858/5 "2009-02-08T01:07:53Z")
Uriah Heep? ---
**Author:** ![slitterst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@slitterst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slitterst)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-who-took-their-name-from-share-one-with-historical-or-literary-figures/484858/6 "2009-02-08T01:10:11Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > his name at birth was Paul Revere Dick. He sliced it off to go into show biz. That’s just wrong. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-who-took-their-name-from-share-one-with-historical-or-literary-figures/484858/7 "2009-02-08T01:12:31Z")
David Copperfield, the magician, was the first to spring to my mind. And Marilyn Manson was just following Elvis Costello’s lead. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-who-took-their-name-from-share-one-with-historical-or-literary-figures/484858/8 "2009-02-08T01:18:57Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > David Copperfield Thank you so much, that’s the one I’ve been wracking my brain trying to come up with since reading the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-who-took-their-name-from-share-one-with-historical-or-literary-figures/484858/9 "2009-02-08T01:19:37Z")
Tom Jones is the first to spring to mind. (Born Thomas Woodward, he was given the name Tom Jones, because his image was similar to the character of that name.) ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-who-took-their-name-from-share-one-with-historical-or-literary-figures/484858/10 "2009-02-08T01:22:40Z")
Half his name - David Bowie was born David Jones, but since Davy Jones of the Monkees was performing as well and this created confusion, he picked the last name Bowie after Jim Bowie and the Bowie knife. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-who-took-their-name-from-share-one-with-historical-or-literary-figures/484858/11 "2009-02-08T01:33:18Z")
Actor Matt Dillon shares his name with the marshall on “Gunsmoke.” Several entertainers changed their names precisely BECAUSE there was already another celeb by the same name. 1. Michael Keaton’s real name is Michael Douglas 2. Albert Brooks’ real name is Albert Einstein 3. Stewart Granger’s real name was Jimmy Stewart ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-who-took-their-name-from-share-one-with-historical-or-literary-figures/484858/12 "2009-02-08T01:33:58Z")
The Marx Brothers. Anne Hathaway. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-who-took-their-name-from-share-one-with-historical-or-literary-figures/484858/13 "2009-02-08T01:35:40Z")
And Madonna, of course. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-who-took-their-name-from-share-one-with-historical-or-literary-figures/484858/14 "2009-02-08T01:47:32Z")
Steppenwolf is a novel, a band, a theater company, a movie, a comic character, and the title of an online video game. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-who-took-their-name-from-share-one-with-historical-or-literary-figures/484858/15 "2009-02-08T01:49:42Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > 1. Albert Brooks’ real name is Albert Einstein Cool! Might be a slightly difficult name to live with, though. ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-who-took-their-name-from-share-one-with-historical-or-literary-figures/484858/16 "2009-02-08T01:57:01Z")
I don’t know if Jesse James of West Coast Choppers counts as an entertainer, exactly, but he did use to have a TV show where he customized cars and whatnot. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-who-took-their-name-from-share-one-with-historical-or-literary-figures/484858/17 "2009-02-08T02:11:45Z")
Not an entertainer, but author Adam Smith, best known for his books on economics, took his pen name from the original Adam Smith, a philosopher of economics. Adding to the list of rock group names, there was [H.P. Lovecraft](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._P._Lovecraft_(band)). Bob Dylan took his stage name from poet Dylan Thomas. Bit actor [Fred Asparagus](http://www.aveleyman.com/ActorCredit.aspx?ActorID=641) most likely took screen his name as a play on Fred Astaire. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-who-took-their-name-from-share-one-with-historical-or-literary-figures/484858/18 "2009-02-08T02:18:53Z")
[Sebastian Cabot](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebastian_Cabot_(actor)), the actor, and [Sebastian Cabot](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebastian_Cabot_(explorer)), the explorer. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-who-took-their-name-from-share-one-with-historical-or-literary-figures/484858/19 "2009-02-08T02:30:55Z")
If we’re including bands, then there’s the Levellers, named after a (kind of) political group in Cromwell’s time. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-who-took-their-name-from-share-one-with-historical-or-literary-figures/484858/20 "2009-02-08T03:13:49Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Paul Revere of the group PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS really was born with that name, though his name at birth was Paul Revere Dick. He sliced it off to go into show biz. > [@slitterst](#): > > That’s just wrong. Okay, he got _circumcised_ when he went into show biz. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-who-took-their-name-from-share-one-with-historical-or-literary-figures/484858.md?page=2)