10 Celebs with Unusual Nicknames & the Stories behind Them

• Over the years, several celebrities have revealed where their nicknames came from.
• While some were given the nicknames, others chose the names for themselves.
• There are many show business stars with unusual monikers, some holding a special meaning to them.

Like many people, celebrities also have nicknames, some more unusual than others. For others, their monikers have also become their stage names.

One of those Hollywood stars is Meryl Streep, who revealed during an appearance on "The Graham Norton Show" in October 2015 that she was initially named Mary at birth.

The Academy Award winner divulged that her grandmother's name was also Mary, and her mother was named Mary too. And so in keeping with tradition, the actress' mother named her first daughter Mary too.

Streep also revealed she was named after her mother's best friend, Lousie. So, her full birth name is Mary Lousie. However, growing up, she was always called Meryl, a name her father made up. "He liked that name, and so, I hated it," Streep admitted.

Another celebrity whose nickname became synonymous to her stage name is Jennifer Lopez, better known as JLo. The singer revealed during an episode of "World of Dance" in July 2020 that the nickname originated from the late Jamaican-American rapper and record producer Heavy D.

Lopez shared that he would call her Jenny Lo whenever he came into the studio while she was recording her first album. The actress also disclosed that she was dating Puff Daddy then, so "Puffy and Jennifer Lo" and "Jenny Lo" came up a lot in records. She decided to call her first album JLo.

In addition to Streep and Lopez, another star whose moniker became his stage name is English musician Gordon Sumner, better known as Sting.

In a November 2011 interview, the actor revealed his wife calls him Sting, adding, "I was never called Gordon. You could shout Gordon in the street, and I would just move out of your way."

Like Streep, Lopez, and Sting, many other stars also have nicknames, but some are more unusual. Here are A-list actors and singers with odd monikers that fans may not be aware of.

1. Keanu Reeves a.k.a. ‘The Wall’

Keanu Reeves' first name is unusual on its own as it is a Hawaiian name that reportedly means "cool breeze over the mountains." In his youth, the Canadian native was a skilled ice hockey goalie and was nicknamed The Wall.

2. Blake Shelton a.k.a. ‘Toad’

Blake Shelton was an animal lover when he was young. Even his mother believed that he would grow up to be a veterinarian or a forest ranger. As a child, the "The Voice" alum spent much time outdoors and brought home so many frogs that his mother started calling him Toad.

3. Cameron Diaz a. k.a. ‘Skeletor’

Cameron Diaz reportedly grew up a tough cookie in a rough neighborhood in Long Beach, California, where she learned to hold her own. The movie actress was often teased by her peers, who called her Skeletor because she was thin.

4. Hugh Jackman a.k.a. ‘Sticks’

Hugh Jackman appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" in May 2014 and revealed that his friends in Australia call him Sticks. This was after the television host showed a photo of him working out in shorts, and his legs were on display. The "Wolverine" star acknowledged that he had skinny legs, hence the nickname.

5. Rihanna a.k.a. ‘Robyn’

Rihanna is the Barbadian singer's middle name which means "sweet basil" in Arabic. While the name has stuck in the industry, her real name is actually Robyn, which is what most of her family and friends choose to call her. In an April 2011 interview, the famed billionaire admitted that she often becomes "numb" when being called Rihanna, but when people refer to her as Robyn, she pays "attention."

6. Jennifer Aniston a.k.a. ‘Mamma’

In a November 2020 interview, Jennifer Aniston's makeup artist, Angela Levine, revealed the sweet nickname her friends came up with for her. Levine disclosed all the other women around the award-winning actress called her Mamma. "[…] We are hers and she is part of our hearts forever," she explained.

7. Julianne Moore a.k.a. ‘Bougie Julie’

Julianne Moore revealed in a January 2015 interview that she gave herself the moniker Bougie Julie. The red-haired actress explained, "I'm as bourgeois as it gets. I like having order." Growing up, her family moved around a lot as her father was in the Army, so there was no stability.

8. Ashton Kutcher a.k.a. ‘Kutch’

Ashton Kutcher's wife, Mila Kunis, revealed during an appearance on the "Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard" podcast that she used to call him Kutch. She had been calling him by that nickname before they became a couple. However, the "Two and a Half Men" alum asked her to stop referring to him by the moniker.

9. Chris Pratt a.k.a. ‘Monkey Boy’

Chris Pratt revealed in an April 2019 interview that his childhood nickname was Monkey Boy. The actor shared his father originally named him that because he had a small head and his teeth and ears were the same size. "I was just always bouncing around, jumping around and liked monkeys, I don't know, it just stuck," he said.

10. Richard Gere a.k.a. ‘Dick’

Richard Gere was nicknamed Dick by his father. During an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in April 2017, the veteran actor divulged his dad started calling him "Dick, Dicky, Rick, Ricky, Dick, Dick, Dick" after he slipped while visiting his brother. And he said to him, "Dad, no. It's Richard."

From normal to odd to funny nicknames, one thing they have in common is a back story. Some were derived from a place of love, while others stemmed from being teased for an outstanding trait or feature. They may not all be pleasing to the ears, but these stars have learned to embrace them.