Obsolete Real Name

Ozzy Osbourne's real name is John Osbourne. But just try and get him to turn around by saying "JOHN!"

Most of us can think of a few hundred celebrities who have changed their names. Some of them just wanted to make a bigger impression (Whoopi Goldberg) or a lesser one (Larry King). Some particularly pretentious pop stars have become one-word names, like Madonna, or Cher.

[Celebs often change their names because they have to, the ScreenActorsGuild? requires names to be unique.]

Comedian Albert Brooks given name is Albert Einstein...no wonder he took a stage name.

Some people change their names when they change religions, like when Madonna became Esther, or Cassius Clay[sic?] became Mohammed Ali[sic?], or when Marshal Applewhite became Do.

But, does anyone here know an actual flesh-and-blood human being that simply does not answer to the name on his birth certificate?

• Only one: http://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,491/

• Plenty. Some simply because they don't like it, some because they wanted to be seen differently than their given name would present them.

• I've been told that many people who adopt a child give that child an entirely new name. That child may not even know the name on his birth certificate before 18.