Elton John looked to the gods for name inspiration and Tina Fey made an edgy abbreviation. In honor of Middle Name Pride Day, see more stars with unusual middle names.
When given the opportunity to pick your own middle name, why not go for the name of a Roman god? Sir Elton John chose the middle name Hercules, perfectly representing the strength of his musical talent. But he wasn’t always known as Sir Elton; he was born with the name Reginald Kenneth Dwight.
Ciara has a middle name worthy of her status as a member of R&B royalty: Princess. The Grammy Award-winning singer recently returned to her throne by releasing her seductive new single “Body Party” from her fifth studio album One Woman Army, which will be released this summer.
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It was in Miley Cyrus’s destiny to change her middle name. Born with the name Destiny Hope, the future Mrs. Hemsworth first changed her name in 2008 to the moniker Miley Ray, combining her nickname Smiley with her father Billy Ray Cyrus’s middle name.
Kiefer Sutherland raced against the clock on 24, but how fast can he sign his name? It probably takes him awhile considering he has five middle names—William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus.
As the daughter of Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman, Uma Thurman’s middle name Karuna means compassion in Sanskrit. Thurman also incorporated Sanskrit into her daughter Rosalind Arusha Arkadina Altalune Florence’s name, as Arusha means “bright” in Sanskrit.
Despite making being a well-known sinner, actor Mel Gibson has the middle name of a saint. Known as the Dove of the Church, Colm-Cille was an Irish saint who founded monasteries and churches throughout Ireland and Scotland. Gibson also has a second middle name, Gerard.
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As a member of a self described hippie family, Rain Phoenix was given the untraditional middle name Joan of Arc, after the French martyr. Phoenix told the Guardian that she felt honored by the middle name and that “at times it’s been a source of solace just knowing that that’s my middle name.”
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While she is known by the name Dido, the British songstress was christened Florian Cloude De Bounevialle Armstrong. Dido however is not happy about having multiple names, telling the Observer that, “to be called one thing and christened another is actually very confusing and annoying. It’s one of the most irritating things my parents did to me. I’m still irritated by it.”
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Actress Tina Fey arrives at the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday Jan. 13, 2013, in Beverly Hills, Calif.Tina Fey’s first name is not actually Tina; she was born Elizabeth Stamatina Fey. Fey chose to use the shortened version of her middle name because it was edgier than Elizabeth. Fey however passed on the name Elizabeth to her 30 Rock character Liz Lemon as well as an atypical middle name, Miervaldis.
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One of the most amusing bits of testimony to come from the British Phone Hacking scandal was the fact that actor Hugh Grant’s middle name is Mungo. Say Hugh Mungo three times fast to see why Grant’s name is such a tongue twister.
Like many couples Nicolas Cage and his wife Alice share a name, but it’s not their last name. Alice’s last name Kim is the same as Cage’s middle name. Born Nicolas Kim Coppola, he changed his name to disassociate himself from his famous uncle Francis Ford Coppola as he pursued an acting career.
GERARD JULIEN
