People are only just finding out that Calvin Harris isn't his real name

Even if you're not that into dance music, chances are you've heard the name Calvin Harris. But did you know that's not the real name of the man behind the tracks?

It's not unusual to learn that celebrities have changed their name in some way during their rise to stardom.

Cher's birth certificate doesn't just read 'Cher', and Sting's parents didn't get their inspiration from bees. (His real name is actually Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, if you were wondering).

But with a pretty regular first and last name, Calvin Harris is one of the stars you'd expect to have kept their real name as they stepped further and further into the spotlight.

The Scottish DJ is responsible for bringing us tracks like 'Feels So Close', 'How Deep Is Your Love' and 'Summer', but while a lot of fans know his music well, they've been left shocked by what they don't know about Harris himself.

In 2009, Harris revealed to Shortlist that he decided to change his name when he released his first single, 'Acceptable in the 80s', from his 2007 debut album I Created Disco.

Calvin Harris is responsible for a number of hit dance tracks. JMEnternational/Getty Images

Explaining the reason behind his decision, Harris said: "My first single was more of a soul track, and I thought Calvin Harris sounded a bit more racially ambiguous.

"I thought people might not know if I was Black or not. After that, I was stuck with it."

Though a name doesn't depict a person's race, Harris felt the one he chose for himself was more ambiguous than his real name - Adam Wiles.

Fans of the artist have been left stunned by the revelation, with some only learning about Harris' real name years later.

In a post on X today (April 8), one person wrote: "My first twitter lesson of today is that Calvin Harris has a real name, it's Adam Richard Wiles."

Harris' real name has stunned fans. X

"Calvin Harris is NOT that man’s real name???? Since when?????" another posted.

Other music fans have called attention to the reason why Harris changed his name.

One X post read: "Learning that Calvin Harris is a stage name for a guy w an equally normal name is one thing. But then learning the reason is another."

Harris has reportedly expressed regret for changing his name in the past, and while he still uses the name Calvin Harris on his tracks, he has experimented with another stage name, Love Regenerator, in more recent years.

Topics: Music, Twitter, Celebrity

Emily Brown

Emily Brown is UNILAD Editorial Lead at LADbible Group. She first began delivering news when she was just 11 years old - with a paper route - before graduating with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University. Emily joined UNILAD in 2018 to cover breaking news, trending stories and longer form features. She went on to become Community Desk Lead, commissioning and writing human interest stories from across the globe, before moving to the role of Editorial Lead. Emily now works alongside the UNILAD Editor to ensure the page delivers accurate, interesting and high quality content.