Public figures of all kinds use stage names: musicians, actors, sportsmen, belly dancers, burlesque dancers or writers. A fictitious name can help create a character, reflect their personality, and relate better to the audience. It can also make it possible to keep public life separate from private life.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Choose an Art Name
Step 1. Establish the purpose of the stage name for your specific case
In fact, it can help you achieve several purposes: all of the following factors can affect your choice of name.
- Brand name: a stage name can help you create a trademark that will give you a different identity and a very specific artistic image.
- Separation between personal and professional life: a stage name will be in the public domain, probably in common use. Some people will still be aware of your real name, but keeping it separate from your fictitious one can give you more privacy.
- Differentiation: If your first name is very common, an art name can help you get noticed and remembered more easily.
- Considerations regarding bias: in the past, some people used stage names to avoid instinctive reactions of a racist, anti-Semitic or otherwise based on preconceived nature. Fortunately, today it is more difficult for such a thing to happen. Similarly, some married women prefer to avoid using their husband's surname, because unfortunately some people think this is detrimental to their career.
Step 2. Choose a name that reflects your character
The stage name gives you the opportunity to express yourself. What meaning do you want to attribute to it? Think about how it might represent the personality you take on on stage.
Step 3. Behind the stage name there must be a story
Whatever title you use, people will probably want to know why you decided to call yourself that. If the anecdote isn't interesting, you could come up with a more original one that fits your name.
Step 4. Do a search on your name
Online and thanks to the name books you can find out the meaning of the name you have chosen. Learn about its origins. Does its meaning and history reflect what you want to convey?
Step 5. Choose a name that can be found easily
Think about how people might find your name on search engines like Google. If you use very common words, especially single ones (like Sun or Heart), it can be difficult for fans to find you online.
Step 6. Choose a name that can evolve over the years with you
It can certainly entice you to use one that reflects your current tastes or a passing fashion, which rides the wave of the moment. But consider where you want to be in 10 or 20 years. Would your stage name also fit an adult artist or is it just fine for a teenager?
- Young artists should consider whether their stage names will be equally suitable as adults. Joseph Yule called himself Mickey Rooney, an appropriate name for a young actor, but as an adult it turned out to be far less adequate. Similarly, Lil 'Bow Wow had to get rid of the word Lil' ("small") after a certain age.
- Pick a name you won't get tired of right away. If you think you're going to hate him in six months, consider another name.
Method 2 of 4: Using Family Names
Step 1. Use a nickname you had as a child
In childhood, they may not have called you by your first name and this nickname could become a good stage name. For example, Richard Melville Hall was called Moby by his parents and the musician later adopted it as his stage name.
Step 2. Use your middle name
If you have a particular middle name, go ahead and use it. Think of Drake, aka Aubrey Drake Graham, or Angelina Jolie Voight, who replaced her surname with her middle name.
Step 3. Get inspired by your family tree
You could use your great grandmother's name or your great uncle's middle name. This stage name will allow you to pay homage to your family and feel closer to your origins.
Step 4. Use your last name
Some artists do just this because the personal name is difficult to pronounce or maybe they never liked it. Liberace is an example: he used only his surname, without his first name, that is, Władziu.
- Some artists start their careers with their full personal name or by combining their stage name and surname. Professionally reinventing yourself may involve name changes, but it's okay not to want to lose the reputation or recognition you already have. In this case, delete the surname and use only the first name.
- Alternatively, add the last name. If you've been using a single stage name so far, you might want to add the last name to reinvent yourself.
- You could also change or slightly modify your surname. Some artists add their husband's surname (with or without hyphen) to their own: think of Courtney Cox, who adopted the surname Arquette after marriage (but later eliminated it in divorce).
Step 5. You can adopt the same stage name used by your parent
If there are other artists in the family, you might associate your stage name with that of your father or mother. This can allow you to build a reputation and be recognized among fans and insiders.
For example, Carlos Irwin Estévez became Charlie Sheen in honor of his father Martin Sheen, also an actor, born Ramón Antonio Gerardo Estévez. His brother Emilio instead kept the family surname
Method 3 of 4: Handwriting of the Artist Name
Step 1. You could try changing the spelling of your name
If you like your first name, you could do some phonolinguistic experiments: maybe changing some letters can make it more interesting. The name of the band Gotye is nothing more than a cast of the French surname Gaultier.
Sometimes that's not a good idea, especially if you add a letter where it's not at all necessary. Otherwise you risk confusing others and complicating the pronunciation of your name
Step 2. Avoid putting symbols in your name
Perhaps it seems original to you to replace an S with the dollar sign ($) or an I with the exclamation point (!), But this would only create confusion and probable spelling errors. Sure, Ke $ ha and others did, but you should avoid it.
In 1993, singer Prince turned his name into a symbol to escape the contract with Warner Bros. Since the symbol was unpronounceable, reporters renamed it The Artist Formerly Known as Prince. Such a change would only work if I already had a good reputation and a following, and even then it would complicate things too much. After his contract with Warner Bros. expired, the artist started calling himself Prince again
Step 3. Add a touch of the exotic
Some stage names can become more original with this method. It is often ideal for burlesque and pin-up artists. Adding articles or prepositions in other languages, such as von, de, or the, can make a name more exotic and interesting.
Step 4. Consider how your name will be pronounced
If it is unusual, it may be that others will have trouble pronouncing it. Think of actors like Quvenzhané Wallis, Saoirse Ronan or Ralph Fiennes. They are difficult names to pronounce and it is often necessary to make clarifications about them in the articles in which they appear.
- Consider an alternative spelling of your name that can facilitate correct pronunciation.
- Once you become famous, you will probably leave this problem behind.
Step 5. Consider your international profile
If you started performing overseas, would your name be just as interesting? Since the internet facilitates the relationship between artists and fans who live in every corner of the globe, think about how your name will resonate in the different cultures of the world.
Step 6. Use your chosen spelling consistently
If you decide to use alternative spelling or particular symbols, try to do it constantly. Don't go from S to $ symbol and vice versa. Choose a fixed variant.
Method 4 of 4: Using the Stage Name
Step 1. Try to use the stage name concretely
Maybe it sounds great when you say it out loud in front of a mirror. But you have to understand if it is equally successful when it is spoken by someone else. Basically, do a market test.
Step 2. Don't legally change your name
Unless you want to give up your first name completely, there is no point in going down this path. Maintaining it will help you make a clear distinction between your personal and professional life.
Step 3. If you have a pseudonym, register it with the SIAE by submitting an application with the required documentation and payments
Obviously, the institution will verify its originality before confirming its recognition. The procedure for the stage name is very similar. However, you must know that no recognition is required for the stage name, you just need to communicate it to the SIAE. However, you need to prove your artistic notoriety through evidence such as covers and websites.
The pseudonym and the stage name are granted only to individual subjects already associated with the SIAE
Step 4. Update the information linked to your bank account
In fact, you should also indicate your stage name, especially if you have a business account associated with the income received with your alias. Make sure your account specifies both names for the avoidance of doubt.
Step 5. Reserve social network accounts with your stage name
Once you've chosen it, make sure you have an active online presence with that name. Open a Facebook page other than your personal profile. Create one on Twitter too.
Step 6. Reserve a domain
After choosing your stage name, register a domain to prevent someone from misusing your identity or exploiting your success for personal profit (this phenomenon is called cybersquatting).
- Look for a site that allows you to register a domain name, such as GoDaddy.com or Dotster.com. Make sure your name is not already in use.
- Register your domain on a dedicated website. Determine how long to reserve it for. You can renew it every year up to a maximum of 10 years. You will have to pay a fee which can vary annually and by site. Usually the initial registration is between 10 and 15 euros.
Advice
- Pick a stage name as soon as you start creating your character. The name itself can affect your behavior and interaction with fans.
- Don't feel obligated to choose a stage name. You can use your personal name, although it will be more difficult to separate public life from private life. If you have a particular name, like Benedict Cumberbatch, you should stick with it. Similarly, if you prefer a common name, and yours is, use it.
