Courtney Love
Kurt Cobain's ex-wife was born Courtney Michelle Harrison, though her stage name is one of the most famous ever. However, in 2010 she renounced "Love" and went back to Harrison. "We love her when she goes on stage, but I don't need her in the rest of my life," she said.
Whoopi Goldberg
The iconic comedian Whoopi Goldberg was born Caryn Johnson. While guesting on "The Graham Norton Show," she revealed that her stage name derives from a whoopee cushion. "No one christened me that. I am Karen, but I was a bit of a farter," she joked. "The theatres I was performing in were very small so if you were gassy you had to walk away farting and people would say I was like a Whoopee cushion. I was sometimes quite noisy, never offensive."