Celebrity names are brands. They spend years, sometimes decades, cultivating it so that it becomes a household name. There are few things more important than name recognition. This is why it’s so surprising when a celebrity who has spent a lifetime building name recognition suddenly decides to change it.

This is exactly what happened Thursday, when Ron Artest filed paperwork in Los Angeles to have his name legally changed to Metta World Peace. According to the Los Angeles Times, the name “Metta” is a Buddhist word meaning “a strong wish for the welfare and happiness of others.”

Artest isnt the first celebrity to change an already well-branded name. Here are the top five notable celebrity name changes:

#5 – Martin Louis the King Jr.

In January 2009, Kanye West asked his fans to begin calling him by the name “Martin Louis the King Jr.” during a video message he posted on line. According to MTV UK, this name change was never official but worked as a great publicity stunt to bring attention to West’s new line of shoes.

#4 — Chad Ochocinco

In 2008, Chad Johnson gave up his surname in order to have the number 85 placed on his back in Spanish. In 2009, he indicated that he was planning to take things one step further by changing his name again to “Hachi Go,” which means the same in Japanese. This change never materialized and, according to a recent interview with ESPN, Chad is thinking of giving the whole thing up and returning to his true name.

#3 — Swag

In May, P. Diddy came down with the flu and did what any normal person would never think of doing. He changed his name for a week to “Swag.” This is nothing new for the artist who has been known as P. Diddy, Diddy, Puff, Puff Daddy, King Combs and Puffy over the years.

#2 — World B. Free

Lloyd Bernard Free was known for his airtime on the basketball court. Between 1975 and 1988, his 44 inch vertical and 360-degree dunks earned him the nickname “World.” Apparently he liked the name so much
that he permanently changed his name in 1981.

#1 — The Artist Formerly known as Prince

For seven years between 1993 and 2000, Prince changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol due to a contract dispute with Warner Bros. Records. This name change wins top awards for the strangest of all due to the fact that his new name was not even a name.

I look forward to the inevitable technical fouls and ejections of World Peace this coming season.

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