My name's not John Beatle, it's John Lennon.

Pirate was going to be my middle name, but then my uncle had a problem with it because pirates are bad.

Call me whatever you like; I am who I must be.

I thought up the name Queen early on. It couldn't have been King; it doesn't have the same ring or aura as Queen.

Lady Gaga is my name. If you know me, and you call me Stefani, you don't really know me at all.

Africans of my generation-and even today-generally have both an English and an African name. Whites were either unable or unwilling to pronounce an African name, and considered it uncivilized to have one. That day, Miss Mdingane told me that my new name was Nelson. Why she bestowed this particular name upon me I have no idea. Perhaps it had something to do with the great British sea captain Lord Nelson, but that would be only a guess.