Marilyn’s Real Name
Even though she is recognized all over the world as Marilyn Monroe, this historical icon was born as Norma Jean Mortenson and later baptized as Norma Jean Dougherty. Immediately after signing with Fox in 1946, the studio executive suggested that Dougherty is a hard name to pronounce.
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In need of a stage name, she chose the name Marilyn after the Broadway star Marilyn Miller and Monroe is her mother’s maiden name. Although she only legally changed her name in 1956, she was only referred to as Marilyn Monroe throughout her career.