Peck earned a BA in English from Berkely, headed off to New York city, and shed that childhood name. “I never liked the name Eldred. Since nobody knew me in New York, I just changed to my middle name,” said Peck.

A combination of talent, looks, and a good name (I had to throw that last one in), led him to one of the most successful acting careers in the US. With all the famous roles throughout the years, he still considered Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird his favorite. “Hardly a day passes that I don’t think how lucky I was to be cast in that film,” Peck said in 1997 . “I recently sat at a dinner next to a woman who saw it when she was 14 years old, and she said it changed her life. I hear things like that all the time.”

Peck died in 2003. Brock Peters who played Tom Robinson in the Mockingbird movie spoke about Peck at his funeral. He said that “Atticus Finch gave him [Peck] an opportunity to play himself.”

He had a career studded with accomplishments from Academy Awards to the National Medal of Arts. I like to believe his name was just one part of that successful career.

It was in this period that Joaquin (pronounced wah-keen) became dissatisfied with his own name. He began referring to himself as Leaf mostly because he wanted a name in a similar vein to his siblings but also because he was frustrated and embarrassed by his name which was not so well-known in the US. He said this about the change, “I was born in Puerto Rico and Joaquin is a Spanish name. And when I came to the US, nobody could pronounce it. They would say, ‘What’s your name?’ And I would say, ‘Joaquin’ and they would go, ‘Walk-ing? Walk – what?’ And you know how kids always get bothered with that kind of thing. Like, ‘No! My name is…’ So it bothered me and so I changed it.” In fact, Leaf River is the name he is credited with for his first acting parts from his childhood.

However, during his teen years he decided to resume using the name Joaquin. He has twice been nominated for an Academy Award and is the recipient of both a Golden Globe and a Grammy Award. His brother is the well-known late actor River Phoenix. Joaquin dated and was even engaged for awhile to actress Liv Tyler. (What a fascinating couple they would have made with both of them having changed their names!)

Early in his career he is quoted as saying, “That kind of fame; I couldn’t have it in my life. I love that we can sit on the lawn in Central Park and I’m just one of the millions. I don’t want to lose that. I just want to be right in the middle.” His fame has probably taken him beyond anything he expected and his name journey from Bottom, Joaquin, Phoenix, and Leaf has been along for the marvelous ride.

Face aside, the thing I find really interesting about this actor is his name (go figure!). He was given the name Robert Schenkman at birth. In an interview with Bret Ryan Rudnick, Trebor explains that when he went to sign up for the actor’s union, someone else had his exact name. (Wait a minute. There’s another actor with the name Robert Schenkman?) Trebor explained that it’s alright for actors to register with the same name, but it can cause a lot of confusion. In a field like acting where it’s all about name recognition, confusion is not a good thing. In explaining how he selected his new name he stated, “When I was about nine, I was a fan of Regal Crown sour candies, made by an English company called Trebor. And one day many years after, I just looked at the name “Trebor” and said ‘That’s my name backwards!’”

So Robert Trebor is a palindrome (check out my earlier post on palindromes.). Trebor described how his name change was not merely a stage name, but something more all-encompassing. He’s changed his passport, social security card, voter registration, etc. The Robert Trebor Facebook Fanpage is attestation to the actor’s cult-like following; his fans seem as devoted to the palindromic name as they are to the quirky, comedic actor.

She is also quoted as saying, “I always wanted a middle name. My mum used to tell me it was Mary but I never believed her. I looked on my birth certificate and I didn’t have one, just Trace Ullman.”

Ullman is currently starring in Showtime‘s, Tracey Ullman’s State of the Union which draws on Ullman’s brilliant impersonations and provides a humorous satire on life in America. In fact, Tracey began her variety shows at a young age; performing home-spun skits for her family.

I still say there’s something dynamic about someone who chooses their own name. We’re all given one at birth. The woman who referred to herself as “just Trace Ullman” was already beginning her life as an entertainer, but who knows? Maybe owning her own name by adding the “y” helped her own her own life as well!

There were rumors the band selected the name Alice Cooper after consulting a ouija board that suggested the lead singer was a reincarnated witch. It was only revealed in later years that the band came up with the name because they liked the idea of creating an image of, as Cooper said, “a cute and sweet little girl with a hatchet behind her back.”

The lead singer’s name at the time was still Vincent Furnier, but fans saw him differently. He notes that a lot of people assumed his name was Alice Cooper and would refer to him as such. The band wanted to play up the role of their controversial origins and felt that they could do more to develop the lead singer’s persona. Commenting on the Barbarella-inspired look, Cooper said, “When I saw Anita Pallenberg playing the Great Tyrant in that movie in 1968, wearing long black leather gloves with switchblades coming out of them, I thought, ‘That’s what Alice should look like.’”

The problem was that the band had already copyrighted the name Alice Cooper and as a result, Cooper is reported to pay yearly royalties to the original band members in order to use it commercially.

It must be worth it because Alice Cooper (the person) has been noted to say that changing his name was one of his most brilliant career moves. Another testament to the value of having the right name for the person.

It’s another example of how we sometimes think celebrities choose their name as they’re riding the crest of becoming famous, when in reality the change was made much earlier in their lives. It’s easy to imagine the young Dana Owens referring to herself as Latifah at the tender age of 8. I always admire children with that much confidence in who they are and the courage to put it out there.

She added Queen to her name in response to negative references to women in rap songs. She noticed how women let others make them feel too fat or too skinny or anything along those lines. Adding “Queen” to her name helped her remember her true identity and helped others treat her with the respect she deserved. When asked about her name, she had this to say, “So that was the name I chose, but my mom laughed at me. ‘Queen? I’m the queen, I raised you,’ she said. So she is the real Queen and just lets me borrow the title. And she still makes me take out the trash when I go home.”

She has shown that the respected moniker is well-deserved with a career that has now spanned 20 years and includes singing, rapping, acting, and co-founding her own record label.

In fact, it is the American way to reinvent ourselves. The rags to riches story still has incredible power over our imaginations. Sigourney Weaver, originally named Susan Alexandra Weaver, would probably not fall in the rags to riches category, but it is still a great story of self invention. Her mother was Elizabeth Inglis, a former actress and her father was Sylvester Laflin Weaver, an NBC executive. She even had an uncle who was a well-known comedian and actor, Doodles Weaver.

At the age of 14, Susan read the book, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Susan was inspired by the character Sigourney Howard (Jordan Baker’s aunt), a minor character in the book, and soon thereafter she began referring to herself as Sigourney. First of all, what a provocative age that is to be exploring who you are and how you want to be called. Second, what great parents she must have had to raise a daughter and allow her to pick her own name.

And what a great name it is; today Sigourney Weaver is well-recognized all over the world. Her name recognition is a tribute to her long list of successful and critically-acclaimed roles. She starred in Gorillas in the Mist, Alien, Working Girl and a long list of others. And her career continues on. Her newest movie is Avatar, directed by James Cameron.  According to Entertainment Weekly, Sigourney Weaver, “plays a botanist who is an ally of the alien Na’vi tribe.” Sounds like another strong character to add to her list!

Sigourney Weaver has a successful career. Of course her name is not responsible for that; she’s an incredibly talented actress. But I do think being the kind of person who at the age of 14 knows how to stand up for herself and choose how she will be called, is part of that same spirit that makes her so successful today.

But Caryn Johnson as world-famous actress, comedian, radio disc jockey, author, singer-songwriter, talk show host, and activist? I don’t know. It’s not impossible, but definitely more of a stretch. How would Caryn Johnson fit in with the rest of the women in The View? And actually, that would be part of the problem. Caryn Johnson would probably be trying to fit in, whereas Whoopi seems very comfortable in her own skin. That’s one of the things that’s so great about her!

So how does someone like Caryn Johnson transform to Whoopi Goldberg? In a 2006 interview, Whoopi said, “If you get a little gassy, you’ve got to let it go. So people used to say to me, ‘You are like a whoopee cushion.’ And that’s where the name came from.” She continued that Goldberg came from Jewish ancestry in her family. She said she changed her name recognizing that her birth name was too boring.

Whoopi is anything but boring now! I think Whoopi Goldberg picked the perfect name for herself and for her life!

Liv Tyler’s mother, Bebe Buell, was a well-known model and singer. She, like most mothers, told Liv the story of how she selected her daughter’s name. The name Liv was came from the Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann. I would have to agree that Liv is a great name, and I’m surprised to learn that it hasn’t caught on. According to the BabyName Wizard, the name Liv doesn’t show up on its name tracker charts.

Liv’s first name is interesting, but what is most noteworthy is her last name. At the time of her birth, Liv’s last name was Rundgren because her mother said that her biological father was rock star Todd Rundgren. It was only when she was about nine years old that she learned of her true biological father, rock star Steven Tyler (frontman for the band Aerosmith). Liv is noted to have talked to her mom about the similarity she shared with Tyler’s other daughter Mia and that as a result the truth about Liv’s biological father was revealed.

The secret remained within this small circle until some 5 years later when Liv changed her last name to Tyler, keeping Rundgren as her middle name. It was soon after this that Liv’s career in  acting took off. Critics have described Liv Tyler’s acting as “charmingly ingenuous.” I also think it’s interesting that Tyler is not truly Steven’s last name. His last name at birth was Tallarico.

I can’t speak to the significance of Liv’s career taking off soon after taking on her new last name, but I can make some assumptions based on other people I’ve seen. There is something about claiming a name for yourself. Living your life with name given to you by others is fine when that’s working for you, but if it’s not then changing your name can be like staking a claim for the life you want for yourself.

Elvis Costello makes a spectacle of himself in his new talk show series on the Sundance Channel. I just recently learned about Mr. Costello’s talk show, Spectacle, while watching him on the Colbert Report. I was excited about this news because Elvis Costello has a great name change story and his show provides the opportunity to talk about it.

Elvis Costello was born Declan Patrick McManus. I don’t know why anyone would change a name like Declan, but it obviously wasn’t the England-born star’s cup of tea. His name change took an evolutionary path, beginning by changing his last name to Costello in honor of his father who was also a performer and used the name Day Costello, his mother’s maiden name.

At first Elvis went by the stage name D.P. Costello. But once he began to seriously bid for a solo album, his manager suggested yet another change. In honor of the King of Rock ‘n Roll, Elvis Presley, his manager suggested Elvis Costello. The name change christened a long and successful career for the artist.

I’ve come to the conclusion that Mr. Costello must share my passion for name changing because on his talk show, Spectactle, he has included a number of guests who have also changed their names. Proof of Mr. Costello’s moniker mission is revealed by looking at his list of guests:

• Elton John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight)
• Sting (born Gordon Matthew Sumner)
• Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe)
• Smoky Robinson (born William Robinson, Jr)

I’m thrilled to find someone else who sees the value in name changing enough to include so many of his guests who’ve done the same. I’ll be sure to stay tuned to see what other famous name changers he’ll have on the show next. I would love to suggest Bono, Tina Turner, Queen Latifah, Stevie Wonder, Maya Angelou, or Jon Stewart…just as a start!

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If you doubt the impact that changing a name can have on a life, consider Barack Obama. Yes, it’s true that his given name at birth was Barack. So how, you may ask, did he change his name?

When he was a child everyone referred to him as Barry, the same derivative of Barack that his father chose. The story goes that his father chose a nickname just as a lot of people from other countries do when trying to fit into this culture. It seemed only natural then, that Barack who was given the same name as his father, would use the same nickname.

It appears that Barack took comfort in the name Barry. A black boy growing up in Hawaii with a white mother and grandparents would want to fit in somehow. A Newsweek article on Barack’s name shows that when questioned about the nickname, he described, how “he didn’t want to have to explain his name. ‘Barry’ was just a way of simplifying things—a small compromise to smooth the way in society.”

He continued to go by Barry until his early twenties. In college his struggle transformed from trying to fit in to trying to find himself. Friends encouraged him to claim his heritage and go by Barack. I can imagine how that must have resonated with him.  How better to stake a claim for new territory than putting up a flag that labels who owns the property. A name is like the flag testifying who lives here; who owns this life!

You may still think that changing a name from a nickname to a birthname is not technically a name change. But I would argue that it requires the same steps. It requires courage to ask people to call you something different. It’s why there can be comfort in being around new people where you can call yourself what you want. It’s when you’re around people who have known you for years that it’s difficult. People don’t like change. They don’t like it for themselves and they don’t like it for those they love.

Asking people begin to call him Barack wasn’t always easy. Some members of his family insisted on calling him Barry. Through the years he must have won this battle. I think he is a better person for figuring out who he is and how he would be named. Larry Ackerman describes one problem with politics: the expectation to try to be someone you’re not. Maybe having gone through this this process of figuring out who he really is can help him be an authentic leader. I also think the name Barack suits him much better. We all would be better served for this opportunity. To be self reflective. To consider our identity. To choose how we will be named.

Well, the truth is, there are a lot more name changes going on than you realize. I think it’s a bit like buying a new Mini-Cooper and feeling so unique until you start passing one after another out on the road. Name changes are like this. I thought I was so strange when I decided to change my first name. I thought I would be the laughing stock of my friends, family, community, work, etc. It took a lot of courage for me to take the leap, but once I did, I was surprised to learn about so many other people who had changed their names. People I never suspected!

Name changes are woven throughout the fabric of our nation as well. For example, getting a name right is crucial—even for fictional characters. Margaret Mitchell in writing the book, Gone with the Wind originally named the heroine Pansy. At the editor’s request, the author spent months going through names for the feisty main character—everything from Nancy, Peggy, and even Margaret, before finally settling on Scarlett. Getting Scarlett’s name right was an important first step for one of the most successful novels in history.

The thing is, you may not realize how prevalent name changes really are, because you may not realize how many people have changed their name. The table at left demonstrates the pervasive nature of name changes in our culture. In the course of my research, I’ve talked with people around the country about their names and also conducted an online survey. One respondent indicated that she never liked her name, but she didn’t feel comfortable changing it. So she chose instead to give her daughter a name she would have liked for herself. Maybe parents are searching for something more than a unique name for their baby; maybe they’re looking for something unique within themselves as well.

I was in the check-out line at Macy’s recently when three nearby women (all of a similar age) noticed they had the same name, Rosemary. They talked about nicknames, spelling, and their frustrations about the name. I was left thinking about the name Rose. It reminded me of the words of Shakespeare. “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” The name Rose hit a peak in popularity in 1960 and has plummeted since then, leaving women with that name anchored to a certain age and image.

Why couldn’t a rose change her name? It worked for Eileen Edwards who changed her name to Shania Twain. It worked for Leslie Lynch King, Jr., who as a young adult changed his name to Gerald Ford (yes, the US. President).

What’s in a name? Apparently a lot.