Famous people and name changes

princess abumere

January 5, 2017 6:00 PM

Celebrities build brand recognition based on their name, so the question is why would they just wake up and change it.

Toyin Aimakhu

Many artistes change their name for fame, they adopt a stage name/moniker for their profession. Example, Wizkid's real name is Ayo Balogun and Davido's real name is David Adedeji Adeleke.

Female celebrities are also fond of name changes after marriage - it’s become a common thing in Nollywood where actresses are likely to add their husband's surname at the end of the name they were previously known by. For example, following Funke Akindele's marriage to JJC Skillz, the "Jenifa" actress changed her name to Funke Akindele Bello. This change was observed in her social media pages and in the credits of her most recent TV series "Industreet".

Celebrities build brand recognition based on their name, so the question is why would they just wake up and change it after establishing a name people are familiar with.

Scandal

A celebrity is most likely to change their name if a scandal is associated with it. Actress and producer Toyin Aimakhu recently changed her name to Toyin Abraham.

ALSO READ:Actress drops surname for Abraham

Giving the reasons behind the sudden change of name, the actress said it "is a family decision and will like to be officially addressed as Toyin Abraham henceforth."

However, there are many who think she changed her name because of all the drama she was involved in last year. It started with her marriage scandal with estranged husband, Adeniyi Johnson. Then her involvement with Seun Egbegbe and then her campaign to raise funds for a cancer patient.

ALSO READ: 7 controversial celebrities of 2016

Legal reasons

A celebrity may change his or her name for legal reasons. The late American singer Prince changed his name in the 90s during a legal battle between him and his record label Warner Bros. He changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol. In another incident, he called himself The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.

Brand refresh

If you've been around for a long time and need a new start, a name change can help. A brand refresh is like an upgrade of an old version.

After a career spanning two decades and achieving the best of all there is on the continent, 2face Idibia decided to change his name to 2Baba. This name was a something he was fondly called by fans before he made it official.

ALSO READ:How has 2Face Idibia fared as 2Baba

However name changes can have their disadvantage most especially if you grown the value of a brand. A name change is most likely to affect your personal relationships and professional reputation.

A name change can affect the equity of a brand - that’s probably why Yoruba actress Fathia Balogun despite being divorced from actor Saheed Balogun is yet to change her surname. The award-winning producer has built a profitable career over the year and fans identify her with this name.

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