After Tyler De Nawi was revealed as Mustafa this week a host of other people have come out saying why they changed their names. Picture: Channel Nine

De Nawi’s name change was made public after Gold Logie winner Waleed Ali hinted of an actor whose real name was Mustafa but had changed it to something more Western to increase his chances of landing an acting role.

We’re all familiar with celebrities like Jamie Foxx and Elton John who adopted stage names but plenty of ordinary people change their name for all sorts of reasons.

For Jaime Sky, 43, changing her name from Ali when she was 27 was about exercising her right to choose how she’s known.

“You come into this world and you have to be called something, but it’s my life and it’s up to me who I want to be known as and what I want to be called,” the veterinary nurse trainer told news.com.au.

Jaime Sky changed her name because she wanted to have a say about what she’s called.Source:Supplied

She named herself Jamison because she liked the fact it was gender neutral, but is known by Jaime — just like the model Jaime King who she admired.

“The last name is similar to my gran’s, which was Skyes. I dropped the ‘es’ … I think Jamison Sky sounded more like me,” Sky says.

Avi Yemini, 30, changed his surname in 2009 to separate himself from his father.

“I live in a tight-knit community and my family are pretty well known — I’m one of 17 kids and there has been a documentary about us,” he says.

“I’ve always felt uncomfortable about my name, it never truly represented who I really am.”

After he started a business he grew tired of people asking, ‘Are you one of the 17?’ so he changed his surname to his mother’s maiden name, Yemini.

“I hated it because not only was I excommunicated from the family but people thought they knew who I was, when really they were prejudging me based on who they thought I was,” he says.

Avi Yemini (right) changed his name to separate himself from his family. Picture: Chris EastmanSource:News Corp Australia

“Changing my name wasn’t about running from who I was, but freeing myself from the box that was preventing me from becoming who I knew I could be.”

Khadine Aharon, 44, also changed her surname to separate her from her family, choosing a name out of a book of surnames she found in a library.

“I searched for months — I wanted a name with a lot of meaning and Aharon means mountain of strength,” she told news.com.au.

“If you’re thinking of changing your name, I would suggest you don’t rush into it. It’s a big decision so take time to find out what feels right.”

Aharon hosted a celebratory event to officially “come out” with her new name, and each anniversary reflects on the importance of her new name.

“Make a celebration or ritual out of it — it reinforces the importance of it,” she says.

“Names are energy, just like language and music. You carry it with you and it’s important to feel good with that energy.”

Sky also swears by the importance of having the right name, and when she looked up the meaning of her names, their power became clear.

“My birth name was associated with reincarnation and fairies and the afterlife but my new name equalled ambition and being the boss and a go-getter and that’s me to a tee,” she says.

“Changing your name shouldn’t be taken lightly because it does affect everything.”

But Sky says she wouldn’t rule out doing it again.

“It can get addictive like tattoos!” she says.