The nicknames of 22 celebrities that you did not know (and why)

AdminJanuary 22, 2023

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BEATRIZ BARRIONUEVO / GETTY IMAGES.

Considering some of the stage names, it is not surprising that there are celebrities with totally different real names than the ones they use in public life. But a much more elusive detail often escapes us: nicknames of celebrities Whether it’s an affectionate name from childhood or a joke among friends, there are plenty of celebrities with secret nicknames that you only hear about on award nights or backstage on the set of their latest movie.

Some gravitate toward the more predictable—but no less pretty and special—side, like Anne Hathaway, affectionately known as “Annie” to many of her friends. However, others need more explanation, such as Ryan Gosling, who is called “Mouse Boy” because of the show in which he made his television debut: “The Mickey Mouse Club”.

We have put together our selection of best celebrity nicknames, from the cute to the (almost) inexplicable, and we’ve done some vital research into the origins of nicknames. The next time you ask him for an autograph, you know what to do to make him listen to you. Slide the gallery to see them all!

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Nickname: m

In February 2020, a source told ‘People’ magazine that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have pet nicknames for each other: “They are in love and very sweet to each other.”

Nickname: h

In turn, the couple’s fans realized when watching the documentary ‘Harry & Meghan: An African Journey’ that Meghan referred to Harry as “H”.

Nickname: Annie

Recently, Anne Hathaway has said that no one calls her Anne, she calls herself Annie after her friends and family. During an appearance on ‘The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon’, the actress told her: “Call me Annie. Everybody calls me Annie, please. Can we talk about my name for a second?”

Nickname: Smiley (Smiling)

It’s a really nice nickname. Miley Cyrus was named Destiny Hope when she was born, but over time, she earned the nickname ‘Smiley’ (because she was smiling all the time), which eventually evolved into Miley. The singer officially changed her name to Miley Cyrus in 2008.

Nickname: Robyn

The singer’s full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, and while she uses her middle name for her music (and her last name for her beauty brand), it’s still her first name to family and friends. “I fall asleep listening to Rihanna, Rihanna, Rihanna,” the singer told Rolling Stone. “When I hear Robyn, I pay attention.”

Nickname: Mom (Mom)

“We call each other Mamma,” Jennifer Aniston’s makeup artist Angela Levin told Hello. “Not just the two of us, but all the incredible women around her do. And in a way, that sums it up: we are hers and she is forever a part of our hearts. She is truly one of a kind her.”

Nickname: Mouseboy

In 2012 Ryan revealed that his friends at school nicknamed him ‘Mouseboy’ after being named a Mouseketeer as part of the TV show ‘The Mickey Mouse Club’, which launched his career.

“My friends call me ‘mouse boy’ and stuff like that. They’re really happy for me,” he said at the time about the job.

Nickname: Bacardi

It might not surprise you to learn that Cardi B is not her real name. He is actually called Belcalis Almanzar, but where does Cardi B come from? She herself explained the origin of her stage name on ‘Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’, saying: “My sister’s name is Hennessy (a well-known brand of cognac), so everyone started calling me Bacardi (after the brand of rum) and my Instagram account was Bacardi B, but for some reason it was deleted all the time. I think Bacardi (the brand) had something to do with it, so I changed it to Cardi B.”

Nickname: Old Man Jonas (Old Man Jonas)

Nick’s wife, Priyanka Chopra, revealed her cute nickname for the singer, also known as OMJ. “I call him ‘Old Man Jonas.’ That’s my name for him, ‘OMJ,'” she said during a summit appearance in 2019.

“He’s such an old soul, extremely smart, so good for me because he grounds me so much. I’m a wild child, I do what I want when I want and he always has my back,” Priyanka said.

Nickname: Matty

When the ‘Friends’ actor first opened an Instagram account, many fans were shocked to see his account name. Please welcome @mattyperry4 to the building.

Nickname: Hammer

Even before the role of Thor came up, Chris revealed his nickname. “Actually, one of the directors of ‘Home And Away’ (the Australian series) called me Hammer on his day,” he said in an interview. “It was a nod to MC Hammer (the rapper). There was a bit of (rap and dance), but none of it was very talented.”

Nickname: Goldfish (Goldfish)

The ‘Friends With Benefits’ actress told ‘Express’ in 2011 that a friend nicknamed her a ‘goldfish’, thanks to her poor memory.

“It came to him because goldfish circle the tank and a few seconds later, they’re just as happy to circle again. He thought it suited me because I seem to have a very short attention span. Like goldfish colors”.

Nickname: The Wall

Keanu Reeves used to play hockey and was apparently so good in goal that his teammates referred to him as “The Wall.” He sounds very believable, but Keanu has yet to confirm if this is true.

Nickname: Flip (Flip, turn something around)

“I was wearing sneakers that were too big because girls would see them and think, ‘Oh my gosh, you know what that means,'” Kevin joked to ‘Time Out’. “They turned around and moved all the time.”

Nickname: Timmy

In a 2017 interview with ‘Vulture,’ his ‘Call Me By Your Name’ co-star Armie Hammer discovered his nickname. “Timmy is without a doubt the most emotionally accessible human being I’ve ever come across,” Hammer said.

Nickname: m/em

Speaking to ‘W’ magazine in 2017, Stone revealed that she had to change her real name – Emily – to the stage name Emma, because an Emily Stone was already registered as an actress. But to friends, she’s just ‘M’ (or Em).

“I changed it to Emma because, you know, she’s closer to Emily, but most people who know me well call me ‘M,'” she said. “But I miss Emily. I’d love to have her back.”

Nickname: Monkey Boy

Speaking to ‘ET Canada’, Chris explained: “Monkey Boy was my nickname [de niño]. My father gave me that name because he had a small head, but my ears and teeth were the same size as now. I liked to go from one place to another… It stuck with me.”

Nickname: Grandma

Yes, really. In an interview for ‘V Magazine’ in 2014, the Glee actress revealed: “My friends call me Grandma, but Grandma is rocking right now. I’m pretty sure Grandma nailed it in one shoot. [de fotos] half naked, okay? I do what is best for me. That’s all”.

Nickname: Pickle

This nickname came from Drew Barrymore, her co-star in the 2014 film ‘Blended’. “I don’t remember why I started calling her Pickle, but that’s the way it will be for life,” Barrymore told ‘InStyle’ about Thorne.

Nickname: Sticks

Before becoming Wolverine, Hugh recounted on ‘The Tonight Show Jimmy Fallon’ that his friends called him Sticks because of his legs. “All my roommates called me Sticks in real life, for about 12 years. And now I’m Wolverine,” he said.

Nickname: collie

Double surprise: Colman’s real name is not Olivia, but Sarah. “One of my best friends at university was called Olivia and I always liked her name. I was never Sarah, they always called me by my nickname, Colly, so it didn’t seem so horrible not to call myself Sarah,” she revealed to ‘The Independent ‘ in 2013.

Natalia Arroyo
News, beauty and fashion editor at Cosmopolitan.