What do Muhammad Ali, Marilyn Monroe, and Martin Luther King Jr. have in common? None of them were born with those names. Discover the real stories behind seven iconic identities.
You know their stage names—but what about the names they left behind?
From Muhammad Ali to Marilyn Monroe and Martin Luther King Jr., this episode of An Ounce uncovers the hidden identities behind seven legendary figures.
It’s a fast-paced guessing game filled with name changes, reinventions, and the unexpected reasons behind them.
Which reveal surprised you the most? Did you guess any right? Let us know in the comments.
other episodes in the series:
You Won’t Believe Who
These Names Belong To!
The “Name Change Series” from An Ounce
Released on or about:
(1) July 31, 2025:The Real Identities of
Famous Icons
(2) August 14, 2025:They Changed Their Names
-Then Changed Pop Culture
(3) August 28, 2025:Masters of Disguise - When
Changing Your Name Was
the Only Way to Escape
(4) September 4, 2025:The Reinvention Game
-------------------------------------------------------------
If you could change your name… what would you choose?
👉 Like, subscribe, and share for more stories that outsmart the obvious.
🎥 Related episode: [You’ve Been Lied To! The Truth Behind History’s Biggest Myths]
#FamousNames #AnOuncePodcast #NameOrigins #CelebrityRealNames #HistoryRevealed
________________________________________
⏱️ Chapters (Timestamps):
00:00 – Intro
00:48 – Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. (Muhammad Ali)
01:48 – Norma Mortenson (Marilyn Monroe)
03:01 – Reginald Dwight (Elton John)
04:18 – Marion Morrison (John Wayne)
05:14 – Archibald Leach (Cary Grant)
06:05 – Ferdinand Alcindor, Jr. (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)
06:58 – Michael King, Jr. (Martin Luther King, Jr.)
07:54 – An Ounce
________________________________________
📚 References:
• Muhammad Ali – Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Muhammad-Ali-boxer
• Marilyn Monroe – Biography.com: https://www.biography.com/actor/marilyn-monroe
• Elton John – Official Website: https://www.eltonjohn.com/
• John Wayne – IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000078/
• Cary Grant – TCM: https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/76170|27646/Cary-Grant#biography
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – NBA: https://www.nba.com/stats/player/76003/career
• Martin Luther King Jr. – Nobel Prize: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1964/king/biographical/
________________________________________
Additional Media Credits: Images though Wikimedia, iStock, and Getty. Music via YouTube Music Library (Posted by Joel Cummings)
10 second pre-roll promo for An Ounce Podcast on YouTube
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.