Chappell Roan’s Real Name Is a Ghost from Her Past—Here’s Why She Banned It from the Spotlight Ten Years Ago and Never Looked Back
Added on February 3, 2026 inMusic News Cards
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Ever wonder why some artists fiercely guard their real names like precious zodiac secrets under a full Scorpio moon? Well, pop singer Chappell Roan just gave us a red-carpet drama and a name game that’s as bold as her Grammy outfit—a ‘topless’ Thierry Mugler throwback that had tongues wagging and eyebrows raising faster than a retrograde Mercury mishap. Born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz in Missouri, she’s been stepping out as Chappell Roan for over ten years, a heartfelt homage to her late grandfather and a savvy move to keep the mystique (and her privacy) alive. But beyond the applause and gasps, this name change screams boundary setting in a world where fans sometimes forget the cosmic truth: a stage persona isn’t the same as the soul beneath it. Intrigued by the star-studded defiance and the cosmic layers beneath? Dive in—and maybe think twice before calling her by her birth name under this electrifying celestial vibe. LEARN MORE.
This is the reason why pop singer Chappell Roan does not want you to use her real name.
The ‘Pink Pony Club’ singer is back in the news after she walked the Grammys red carpet wearing a ‘topless’ dress in front of the cameras. Her burgundy chiffon dress, which hung from the prosthetic nipples with two clamps, was a recreation of an archival Thierry Mugler gown designed to shock – which it certainly did.
Roan has clapped back at the critics, expressing her surprise at the backlash as she didn’t ‘think this is THAT outrageous of an outfit’.
The daring ensemble has since sparked further interest in the ‘Good Luck Babe’ singer’s career, including why she decides to go by the moniker ‘Chappell Roan’.
The singer is widely known by her stage persona (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
It may or may not surprise you to learn that Chappell Roan isn’t the name on the signer’s birth certificate, as the 27-year-old was actually born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz to a family in Missouri.
However, she has been going by the name of Chappell Roan for the past decade, a moniker which is a tribute to her late grandfather.
“My grandfather’s name was Dennis K. Chappell, so I took Chappell in his honour,” she explained in a 2022 interview with Cherwell.
“Before he passed away in 2016 due to brain cancer, I told him that I was going to be Chappell for him.”
‘Roan’ is also a nod to her relative as well, with the singer going on to add: “Roan came from his favorite song, which was called ‘The Strawberry Roan’, an old Western song about a pinkish-red horse. It’s a very sentimental name.”
Chappell also revealed a disconnect from her given name in the interview, saying she wishes her name ‘was not Kayleigh in real life’.
She’s Kayleigh Rose to close friends and family and Chappell Roan to the rest of us (Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
The use of a stage name also allows Roan to maintain a divide between her personal and professional life, with the singer previously making an impassioned plea against ‘predatory’ behaviour exhibited by some fans.
“I don’t care that this crazy type of behaviour comes along with the job, the career field that I’ve chosen,” she said in a social media video.
“That does not make it okay… It’s weird how people think that you know a person just cause you see them online.”
In another post, Roan explained how she wanted to keep her private life and Chappell Roan persona separate, saying: “Please stop assuming things about me. And please – don’t call me Kayleigh.
“I feel more love than I ever have in my life. I feel the most unsafe I have ever felt in my life.
“There is a part of myself that I save just for my project and all of you. There is a part of myself that is just for me, and I don’t want that taken away from me. Thank you for reading this. I appreciate your understanding and support.”
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