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Some Of Your Favorite Country Stars Don’t (Or Didn’t) Go By Their Real First Names Professionally

It’s a pretty common thing for celebrities to go stage names instead of their real names. Country stars are no exception!

Many country singers don’t go by their real last names. For example, Thomas Rhett is actually named Thomas Akins, Jason Aldean is Jason Williams, and Toby Keith’s name was Toby Covel.

But today we’re talking about artists who don’t (or didn’t) go by their real FIRST names…and there’s a lot of them! We’re sharing 20 in this list, so keep reading to see who they are.

Conway Twitty

The singer you all know and love as Conway Twitty changed his first AND last name when he started his career. His birth name was Harold Lloyd Jenkins.

Tammy Wynette

Did y’all know that Tammy Wynette was born as Virginia Wynette Pugh? If not, now you do.

Keith Whitley

Keith was actually Keith Whitley’s middle name. His true first name was Jackie.

Dierks Bentley

Dierks is such a unique name! But it’s actually his middle name…his first name is Frederick.

Jelly Roll

It should probably go without saying that Jelly Roll’s true first name isn’t Jelly (and his last name isn’t Roll, for that matter). He was born as Jason Bradley DeFord.

Jelly Roll was a nickname his mom gave him as a child. Reason being? He loved doughnuts!

Patsy Cline

Patsy Cline was born as Virginia Patterson Hensley. When it came time for her to choose a stage name, she used her married name “Cline” and drew “Patsy” from her middle name, which was her mother’s maiden name.

Faith Hill

Faith Hill’s real first name is actually Audrey! She and her husband Tim McGraw later named their youngest daughter Audrey as well.

Tim McGraw

Speaking of Tim, he also has a different first name. He was born as Samuel Timothy Smith. He later took on the last name McGraw when he learned that his dad was baseball player Tug McGraw.

Hank Williams

The late, great Hank Williams was actually named Hiram. His middle name was King, which seems fitting considering his status as a country music icon.

Hank Williams Jr.

Like his father, Hank Jr. also has a different first name. He was born with the first name Randall, though his middle name is Hank.

Eric Church

Guess what? Eric Church’s real first name is Kenneth!

Kix Brooks

Kix Brooks’ real first name is quite the departure from the name we know him by. His birth name is Leon Eric Brooks III.

Travis Tritt

Did y’all have any idea that Travis isn’t Travis Tritt’s first name? It’s actually James!

LeAnn Rimes

LeAnn is LeAnn Rimes’ middle name. Her true first name is Margaret!

Wynonna Judd

Wynonna Judd legally changed her name to the one we now know. But she was born Christina Claire Ciminella.

Shania Twain

Like Wynonna, Shania also legally changed her last name to Twain before she made it big. She also opted to take on a different first name. She was born as Eileen Regina Edwards.

Luke Bryan

The man we now know as Luke Bryan was born as Thomas Luther Bryan. He was named in honor of his dad, Tommy.

RaeLynn

RaeLynn only goes by a single moniker on stage, so y’all had to know she has a longer name. She was born as Racheal Lynn Woodward.

Randy Houser

The “Like a Cowboy” singer actually goes by a shortened version of his middle name onstage. His real first name is Shawn, making him Shawn Randolph Houser.

Crystal Gayle

Gayle is Crystal Gayle’s true middle name (kind of, it’s actually spelled Gail). But her real first name is Brenda!

Which one of these country stars’ real first names surprised you the most?

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