Some fans are just now discovering that Bruno Mars isn’t his real name, and the reason behind his stage name might surprise you.
If you grew up in the 2000s, you likely spent time singing along to hits like “Just The Way You Are” on your favorite Now That’s What I Call Music CDs, fully immersed in the era’s pop culture. But while you were jamming out to Bruno Mars, did you know his real name?
Born Peter Gene Hernández in October 1985 in Honolulu, Hawaii, Bruno Mars adopted his stage name early in his career. After graduating high school, he moved to Los Angeles at 17 and decided to reinvent himself. So, why “Bruno” and “Mars”?
Bruno explained to Blues and Soul, “Oh, my dad started calling me ‘Bruno’ when I was two! I was a chubby kid, and there was this chubby wrestler named Bruno Sammartino.” The nickname stuck, with family members continuing to call him Bruno.
As for “Mars,” he wanted a name that set him apart. During a studio session, Bruno joked, “I’m outta this world! I’m Bruno Mars!” And from that moment, the name stuck.
After this revelation, social media lit up with reactions. One Twitter user commented, “Interesting!” while another joked, “He has a nice name, what’s he doing on Mars?” A third expressed disbelief, tweeting, “Wait, Bruno Mars’ real name is Peter?” Meanwhile, another quipped, “You clearly weren’t there from day one, lmaooo.”