Tom Cruise has been known by many names. He went by his call sign Maverick while playing a high-flying pilot in "Top Gun" and has popped up as Ethan Hunt in a long line of "Mission Impossible" movies. Beyond that, he's been Cole Trickle in 1990's "Days of Thunder," Lt. Daniel Kaffee in 1992's "A Few Good Men," Lestat in 1994's "Interview with the Vampire," and Jerry Maguire in the 1996 flick of the same name. Of course, in each role, he's very much Tom Cruise, which, as it turns out, isn't even his real name.

When the star first made his way into the world, he was named Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, according to Biography. Born in Syracuse, New York, back on July 3, 1962, his mom was an actor and teacher named Mary, while his dad was an engineer who was (obviously) another Thomas Mapother. We have to assume that Cruise's grandfather and great-grandfather were the other Toms in the family.

So why did the star change his name? Honestly, Thomas Mapother or Tommy Mapother IV both sound pretty darn cool. However, he apparently decided to shorten his first name and use his middle name as his surname when an agent asked him to do so, according to People. It seems like going with the industry professional's request worked out for Cruise — and he's definitely not the only star who has opted to change their name.

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