The Top 10: Birth names of famous people

Suggested, long ago, by Henk van Klaveren, with Joseph Jughashvili and Temujin Borjigin to start us off (Stalin and Genghis Khan).

1. Elaine Bookbinder. Elkie Brooks. Best known for “Pearl’s a Singer”, 1977. Nominated by Robert Boston.

2. Calvin Broadus Jr. Snoop Dogg. Thanks to Emma Townshend.

3. Cassius Clay. Muhammad Ali. Thanks to John Peters, who also nominated Nguyen Sinh Cung (Ho Chi Minh).

4. Mary Anne Evans. George Eliot. Also from John Peters.

5. Frances Ethel Gumm. Judy Garland. Suggested by Robert Boston.

6. Michael Hecht. Michael Howard, former home secretary and Conservative Party leader. Nominated by Philip Goldenberg.

7. Marion Morrison. John Wayne. Thanks to Andrew Ruddle.

8. Edson Arantes do Nascimento. Pelé. Another from John Peters.

9. Piers Stefan O’Meara, who took his stepfather’s name as Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan, later dropping the first barrel as the tabloid journalist Piers Morgan.

10. James Osterberg Jr. Iggy Pop. “The evergreen rock legend still kicking it at 71,” said James Irwin. “Also can’t recommend his weekly BBC Radio 6 Music show highly enough.”

No room, then, for Diana Mary Fluck (Diana Dors), a far more accomplished an actor than she got credit for, according to Robert Boston.

I thought Harry Webb, Reginald Dwight and Norma Jeane Mortenson were too well known as pub-quiz questions (Cliff Richard, Elton John and Marilyn Monroe).

Next week: Numerical Nicknames of Politicians, such as Three Bottle Man (Pitt the Younger)

Coming soon: Mnemonics, such as “X is a cross” for the axes of graphs

The book of Top 10s, Listellany, is still available for £4.74 (e-book)

Your suggestions please, and ideas for future Top 10s, to me on Twitter, or by email to top10@independent.co.uk