While their names might be famous now, these 5 celebrities admit that while growing up, they hated their unique monikers and wished they were called something else. Some were on the receiving end of cruelty at school because of their names, while others just felt as though they didn’t fit in because their names were so original. Here are 5 celebrities who grew up hating their own names!
America Ferrera
America was teased for her name in school: “In Latin America, it’s not the most common name but most Americas that you meet will be from Latin America. It’s kind of a common name. It was a tough name to grow up with… because kids are horrible and they’ll find any way to make fun of your name. Kids would turn to me when they were saying the Pledge of Allegiance or there was always that one jerk singing the National Anthem to me every time I walked down the hall. When you’re a kid it’s terrifying – you just wanna blend in.”
Beyonce thought her mother made it up: “Yeah, I hated my name. I just wanted to blend in. I kept asking, ‘Mama, why is my name Beyoncé?’ I used to think it was made up, but it was actually her maiden name.”
Chanel Iman
Chanel used to hate her name and wanted to be called something else: “Before, I didn’t like my name. I wanted to be a Brittany or a Tiffany. I used to say my middle name was Brittany. I didn’t even know who Iman was at first.”
Rumer Willis
Rumer used to be taunted in school because of her unusual name: “My sisters, Scout and Talullah, had cute nicknames. In school, kids would sing, ‘Rumer, Rumer with a big hairy tumor.'”
Tavis Smiley
Tavis says that as a kid, he hated his unique name: “When I was a kid, I hated my name. Tavis Smiley. I got teased so much. It was Travis, Tayvis and Smiley became Smelly and ‘Oh, you’re Tavis Smelly.’ So I hated it as a kid. But, lo and behold, years later you’re a TV guy and it works.”
