I feel like I'm getting a little ahead of myself with this, but I will be getting some new head shots soon and since I intended on getting a stage name anyway, I thought I should get them on these new photos.
I've been looking up names, but I can't find any that fit me or that sound "real". I've been looking at other threads on the topic and I know it can be an important aspect of your career so I was hoping to get some help individually.
I'd be willing to post a link to a picture or send one if needed, but I'm not sure about posting it up here for all to see.
My first name is Jessica, but it doesn't fit me and is a bit common; My last name is almost always mispronounced and sounds a lot like "Snap, Crackle, and Pop!".

Anyway, I'm not sure what other information you might need, I'd really appreciate some experienced help though.

Naming oneself is a very hard thing, and there are no easy ways out.

You could start with the last name you have, and try to shorten it, exchanges letters for others and see if you can arrive at a name that pleases you.

You could use locations as a stage name, names of people you admire (changes or unchanged), use a different first name as a last name.

Here is a link to a wiki page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_name

Here is a list of stage names:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_stage_names

If you google "stage name" you will see, that you are by far not alone.

Just avoid names that sound created and intentional.

By the way: Jessica is a fine name and does not sound common at all. Jessica Lange. Does this sound common to you? Certainly not.

when my dd was thinking about a stage name, we decided on her nickname for the first name and her grandmother's maiden name for the last. She never ended up using it but it sounded nice and felt like a tribute to her relatives.

Thank you for the ideas, I will look at those sites also!
Would appreciate some more input too

My first name is part of one of my middle names, and my last name is a nickname for my first name, (or could be).

quote:

Originally posted by skeeterkitty2004:
My first name is part of one of my middle names, and my last name is a nickname for my first name, (or could be).

This sounds like a riddle.

Can we have one more clue .

Really: sounds you got really creative with your name.

I'm not going to say the name, but it can be used as a nickname for my name (first), just isn't a nickname that I use in real life. There are a couple of singers that use it though.

A couple of suggestions about the process of choosing a name (by the way, I agree that 'Jessica' is just fine, so make sure you really want to change it): Regarding the last name: make sure people can easily pronounce it; if the pronunciation is at all ambiguous, it will cause you (and your eventual publicists) a million headaches. Secondly, make sure it's easy to spell and remember (same reasons). Third, try for something that is not overly long, and that has a nice poetic/rhythmic flow.
Fourth, make sure you are going to be happy with this name for a long, long time. Fans, directors and everyone else can get really annoyed when an artist keeps changing their name. People will remember you better if you only use one name throughout your career. Good luck!

dont get too caught up in it. I wouldnt change my name unless I HAD to. That should be the only reason to change your name. If you have the same name as someone else, then you may want to change it...its unfortunate thats what I had to do. damn that Prince of tides!
Anyway, odd names may also work to your advantage. Look at:
Giovanni Ribisi
Mary Elizabeth Masterontonio oomah, Mas, maa, somethingor other
Raynor Scheine (Great character actor!)
Jay Chandalazaar (something like that "broken Lizard")
Loenardo DiCaprio
John Malkovich
Laura San Giacomo
Etc. etc. etc.
Be yourself Jessica snapcracklepop! What is that, dutch?

lmao, I don't have much to say on the topic. If I were to change my name, I'd have it be similar to my original name. I would either stick with Brittany, or change it to Bree, Breanne, or whatever, and maybe get a little more funky with my last name, as long as you didn't sound like you were trying to name a new country or something. Brittany Uzbekestan does not sound good... :\ But like avidactor said, originality never hurt. Having an uncommon name could very well work in your benefit. Really it's all a personal choice, except in his situation, cause he's special... lmao, jk

As an indie film director, having reviewed thousands of pix/resumes for my own projects, I rarely take into consideration someone's name when making a decision about whether to call them in for an audition or not. It's the look that catches my attention first; if I like what I see, I turn the pic over to look at the resume.

Keep your name. Jake Gyllenhaal did.

Good luck!

Ron

How about using parts of your first name/middle name for your stage name?

my first name is jennifer, which is similarly popular and "generic" (even though i love it =) I added in my middle name to my "stage name" because it's uncommon, and also happens to be my late grandfather's name, and i think its a nice way to honor him.

As a journalist who interviews LOTS of actors/singers/musicians/performers, I second zdirector's suggestion that you keep your name pronouncable.

Otherwise you'll be frustrated to no end when people mispronounce it. I know from personal experience as well. When I got married I hyphenated my name and started using that professionally on-air. Listeners couldn't say my name, the anchor of the show I worked for couldn't say my name... and you know what, some days *I* couldn't say my name right! After about a year of trying, I went back to my maiden name on-air and have never looked back.


~T