Hollywood talent agent Henry Willson — the man behind the beefcake craze of the 1950s — liked to invent snappy stage names for his clients. “Catchy, iterative, marquee-size monikers were his trademark.”
And several of his clients (such as Troy Donahue, and Tab Hunter) went on to achieve so much fame that they, in turn, had an influence on U.S. baby names.
Here are some of the names that Willson came up with (or helped come up with):
| Stage name | Real name |
| Chad Everett | Raymon Cramton |
| Guy Madison | Robert Moseley |
| John Saxon | Carmine Orrico |
| Rhonda Fleming | Marilyn Louis |
| Rock Hudson | Roy Fitzgerald |
| Rory Calhoun | Francis McCown |
| Tab Hunter | Arthur Gelien |
| Touch Connors (later known as Mike Connors) | Krekor Ohanian |
| Troy Donahue | Merle Johnson |
| Ty Hungerford (later known as Ty Hardin) | Orison Hungerford |
| Yale Summers | Roy Neuvohner |
Red-headed Rhonda Fleming’s surname was chosen because it sounded like the word flaming.
Speaking of flames, Rory Calhoun’s first name was inspired by Francis McCown’s brief stint as a firefighter (i.e., “roaring blazes”).
Which group of names do you prefer, the stage names (on the left) or the real names (on the right)?
Sources:
- Henry Willson – Wikipedia
- Hofler, Robert. The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson: The Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals of Henry Willson. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2006.
- Hunter, Tab and Eddie Muller. Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star. Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books, 2006.
Image: Clipping from Modern Screen (Oct. 1946)
[Latest update: Oct. 2025]