What is Nicki Minaj's real name? Story behind rapper's stage name explored

Nicki Minaj started her career in the rap industry in 2007. She has since released five studio albums, gone on four world tours, and won 12 Grammy nominations as of September 2024. However, many of her fans don't know that the rapper's real name is not Nicki Minaj.

At birth, Minaj was named Onika Tanya Maraj - a name she still carries off-stage, having added her husband's surname "Petty" to it as well.

While Onika had chosen the first part of her stage name, she wanted to maintain her surname. However, someone from her record label recommended Minaj as a better match, which is how she became Nicki Minaj.

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Nicki Minaj confessed she found her stage name to be a character

The story behind the adoption of Nicki Minaj's stage name was first revealed in her interview with The Guardian in April 2012. In the interview, the host asked Minaj how the second part of her stage name, which was initially supposed to be her surname, Maraj, changed into Minaj. Revealing that it wasn't her decision, the rapper said:

"Somebody changed my name. One of the first production deals I signed, the guy wanted my name to be Minaj and I fought him tooth and nail. But he convinced me. I've always hated it."

However, Nicki appeared to have accepted the name, calling it "a character" in the interview, adding:

"I feel it's like one big theatre piece. It's a show."

In the interview, the Starships rapper disclosed that she wasn't fond of her real name, Onika, and didn't like being addressed by her stage name among friends and family, explaining:

"No, I don't. My rule is, whatever you were calling me four years ago is what you should be calling me now, because I don't like it when my family or close friends call me Nicki Minaj. To me I'm not Nicki Minaj when I'm with them."

Minaj also went to talk about all the characters she had created in her music, including her alter-ego, Roman Zolanski, the irate gay man who had voiced her Eminem-featured track, Roman's Revenge.

Another character appearing on the track, beyond Eminem's Slim Shady, was Martha, Roman's mother, with a Dick Van Dyke accent.

When asked about whether she was a fan of Roman Polanski, the famous French film director whose name Minaj's alter ego seemed to be inspired by, the rapper said that she hadn't seen any of his movies but had only heard of him, adding:

"I knew how he looked and I thought he was a weird-looking man, confused little soul. I went on Twitter and said, 'From now on my name's Roman', and my blogs went crazy. My Barbs went crazy. They cried and said, Nicki don't change your name, we don't want to call you Roman."

While Minaj didn't change her name, Roman stuck with her as an alter ego character. Other minor characters featured in the Truffle Butter rapper's songs are Nicki Teresa, Spanish Rosa, and Nicki Lewinsky.

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Minaj revealed her first alias as Cookie, in 2010

In a 2010 interview with the NY Mag, Nicki Minaj talked about her roots, revealing her chaotic family life with an addict father and a mother "trying to keep a stable home." The High School rapper stated:

"To get away from all their fighting, I would imagine being a new person. ‘Cookie’ was my first identity—that stayed with me for a while. I went on to Harajuku Barbie, then Nicki Minaj. Fantasy was my reality. I must have been such a f***ing annoying little girl."

In the interview, Minaj also discussed her early interest in singing and acting. She pursued the latter at La Guardia High School and planned to become a full-time actress after graduating.

Minaj's failure at acting led her to odd jobs like waitressing and customer service, which eventually sparked her interest in rap music enough to be discovered by Big Fendi in 2007.