= Interviewer S = Susan
I: So, Susan, why do people change their names?
S: There are many reasons. Some of them are quite simple. For example, when a woman gets divorced, she might want to go back to her original name.
I: Right.
S: And, of course, other people just don't like their names. But then there are more interesting reasons.
I: Can you give us some examples?
S: Well, the boxer Muhammad Ali was originally called Cassius Clay. When he changed his religion, he also changed his name to Muhammad Ali.
I: So, religious reasons.
S: Yes. And for famous people – especially actors and singers – they need a name that's easy to say and easy to remember. So, for example, the singer Farookh Balsara …
I: Who's that?
S: Farookh Balsara was the real name of Freddie Mercury.
I: From Queen?
S: That's right. The lead singer of Queen. And, of course, Freddie Mercury is easier to remember than Farookh Balsara. Or Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou.
I: Who?
S: Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou is the real name of the singer George Michael.
I: Ah.
S: It's the same with lots of singers, actually. Sting's real name is Gordon Sumner. The singer from U2, Bono – his real name is Robert Hewson, and so on and so on. Now another reason people want to change their name, especially if they are immigrants from another country, is to identify with the new country. So maybe you're from Germany and your real name is Wilhelm. When you go to the United States, you might change it to William. Or your name is Andreas and you change it to Andrew.
I: This probably happens a lot in the United States and England.
S: Exactly. People want to mix with others. And having a name that's easy to recognise and to pronounce helps a lot. Another reason people change their names is to separate themselves from their family or from famous parents. Angelina Jolie's father is the actor Jon Voight. She was originally called Angelina Jolie Voight.
I: But she dropped the name Voight.
S: That's right. And another reason for people changing their names is that there was a mistake. Oprah Winfrey's mother named her Orpah Winfrey. O-r-p-a-h. But there was a mistake on her birth certificate and everyone called her Oprah.