Cher Reveals Her Real Name

Cher has discovered that the legal name she believed was given to her at birth is actually different.

In her autobiography, Cher: The Memoir, Part One, Cher details her revelation. She claimed she believed her name was Cherilyn until, years later, she decided to legally change it to Cher.

The pop icon recounted the story of her birth in 1946. A nurse had asked her mother, Georgia Holt, what she would name her baby. Georgia had been unsure.

"My mother had no idea. The nurse insisted," Cher wrote. "So Mom replied, ‘Well, Lana Turner’s my favorite actress, and her little girl’s called Cheryl. My mother’s name is Lynda, so how about Cherilyn?’"

In the late '70s, she changed her legal name to Cher, dropping her four surnames: Sarkisian, LaPiere, Bono, and Allman. To begin the process, she needed her birth certificate.

"I was shocked when I saw I was registered as Cheryl," Cher recalled. She asked her mother, "Do you even know my real name, Mom?"

Georgia, who was only 19 when she gave birth, responded, "Let me look at that!" She added, "I was just a teenager and in a lot of pain. Give me a break."

Cher also explained her decision to change her name in 1979 during an interview.

"I like it," she said to Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. "It’s better than having people wonder if they should call me Mrs. Allman or Mrs. Bono or Miss Cher."

The singer confirmed, "I mean, ‘Cher’ is just fine. Just plain ‘Cher.’"