Lady Gaga Considered Other Stage Names Before Choosing Hers

Now that Lady Gaga has established herself as both a talented actress and musician, it’s time to take a deep dive into the inspiration behind her stage name. “Just Dance" premiered in 2008 as part of her “The Fame” album, reminding the world about what fun dance music should really sound like. It was her first major single and now has over 349 million views on YouTube.

Lady Gaga proved herself to be an incredible actress in American Horror Story and A Star Is Born, opposite Bradley Cooper. Soon, we'll see her continue to take on the world of acting in House of Gucci, which premieres on Nov. 24, 2021. Lady Gaga is hugely popular with her fans because of her many talents. But where did her name come from?

Anyone who doesn’t know the true story behind Lady Gaga's stage name might have a question or two for the 11-time Grammy winner. Before selecting the name Lady Gaga, the singer actually explored other aliases, like Joe Caldarone and Yüyi the Mermaid. In 2009, she told Rolling Stone, “I’ve always been gaga… I suppressed all those eccentricities about myself so I could fit in. Once I was free, I was able to be myself."

Her use of the word “gaga" in that instance fits the dictionary definition of being enthusiastic and excited. She already considered her personality to be a little gaga, but her stage name actually references a song by Queen. The group's “Radio Ga Ga” inspired Lady Gaga’s former producer, Rob Fusari, who felt like a lot of Lady Gaga's harmonies were similar to those of Freddie Mercury. As a result, he started calling her Gaga.

The "Poker Face" singer told Oprah in a 2010 interview that the nickname ended up sticking. Rob eventually proceeded to sue Lady Gaga for $30 million in an attempt to collect royalties he felt he was owed for coming up with her stage name and discovering her talent. The lawsuit was dropped within a year but was quite controversial at the time.

Lady Gaga's real name is beautiful and probably would’ve stood out just as much in the music industry. Her real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, a name given to her by her parents, Joseph and Cynthia Germanotta. Her mother was once a telecommunications executive but has now focused her attention on being a mental health advocate. Her father is an internet entrepreneur helping provide Wi-Fi to hospitality establishments across the United States.

Lady Gaga‘s parents might not have given her her stage name, but they did sign her up for piano lessons at the young age of 4. She was able to pick up the skill and master playing the piano by ear when she was just a child. Learning to play an instrument like the piano certainly helped shape Lady Gaga's music career.