Should You Use A Stage Name As A Comedian?

One of the questions I get on a fairly regular basis is this:

“Should I use a stage name as a comedian?”

And my short answer is that it’s a 100% personal choice.

If you want to use a stage name, go for it. If you want to use your real name, go for it. It’s strictly up to you.

However, here are a few things you might want to consider when it comes to using a stage name:

1. Your Identity is NOT Hidden with a Stage Name

There was a time before the internet when using a stage name as an actor or entertainer provided a measure of privacy and anonymity.

Those days are long gone, particularly if one gathers even a modicum of popularity, notoriety, or fame.

2. A Stage Name Will NOT Make You Funnier

I believe many people who want to use a stage name have the misconception that it will somehow give them a “leg up” when it comes to being funny on stage.

A stage name—no matter how cool or hip it may appear—becomes recognizable due to the talent and ability of the performer using the name, not the other way around.

3. You Can’t Easily Change a Stage Name After Achieving Fame

There have been countless people who changed their stage name early in their entertainment careers without issue.

However, once a person achieves a certain level of success and recognition, it becomes increasingly difficult to change from a stage name associated with that success. Why?

Because fans recognize entertainers by the name they use. The stage name becomes associated with the performer, contributing to their power to draw a crowd.

Changing that name would cripple the entertainer’s ability to draw an audience.

Some people don’t care for the name their parents gave them and don’t want any fame associated with their given name.

There’s also a vanity aspect to using a stage name, similar to how some people are attracted to having vanity license plates for their vehicles.

Some may also have first or last names that are hard to say or spell, motivating them to use a stage name.

As I mentioned earlier, the decision to use a stage name is a personal decision.

Recommendations for Choosing a Stage Name

If you decide that you want to use a stage name, here are my recommendations:

1. Think carefully about the stage name you want to use. If you’re set on having a stage name but can’t decide on one, try a search engine for a stage name generator.
2. Once you’ve settled on a stage name, start using it. Don’t wait until you’ve achieved some level of fame using your real name.

Any name that a person makes famous—whether it’s their real name or a stage name—becomes a big deal.

Conclusion

One of the best stories I’ve ever read about the importance of a performer’s name involves famed singer Tina Turner.

Tina Turner became known as Tina Turner partly due to her marriage to Ike Turner (her real name was Anna Mae Bullock).

She garnered a noteworthy amount of fame using that stage name. However, the marriage went south due to domestic violence, leading to divorce.

I read that the only thing Tina wanted in the divorce was her name. This is because it’s common for a divorcing husband to prevent his spouse from using his surname adopted during the marriage.

She knew that if she were forced to abandon the stage name she had been using for years, it would have been devastating to her career. But she got to keep her stage name, and the rest is history.