Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs has changed his name so many times that the rapper has even previously admitted that he “confused himself” due to all the aliases he’s ever adopted

P Diddy has gone by a jaw-dropping number of aliases throughout his career.

The rapper’s real name is Sean Combs, but he has famously changed his stage name multiple times since he first found fame. According to reports, as a kid he was nicknamed Puff because he would “huff and puff” when he was angry.

From this, Combs decided to go by Puff Daddy and the name stuck for many years as he slowly found fame from his role as founder and head of Bad Boy Records. However, in 2001 everything changed as Diddy attempted to reinvent himself after a run in with the law.

He was found not guilty on charges of gun possession and bribery, opting to switch things up for a second time with the name P Diddy. Combs explained: “No more Puff Daddy. The first week in June, we’re going to have a name change ceremony. I’m not doing it as serious as Prince, I just want something fresh. I’m rocking with just P Diddy now.”

According to the rapper Diddy’s new name came from his pal Biggie Smalls, real name Christopher George Latore Wallace, who made the suggestion before his untimely death back in 1996 aged just 24-years-old.

Just four years after ditching the name Puff Daddy, Combs decided it was time for yet another rebrand. This time, the I’ll Be Missing You hitmaker dropped the “P” and started going by just Diddy.

He reckoned that the singular letter was a barrier between the musician and his fans: “Nobody knew what to call me. I’d notice that people were uncomfortable when I’d meet them for the first time and then they’d ask me what they should call me. I even started to get confused myself and when I would call someone on the telephone, it took me a long time to explain who I was. Too long.”

In a final attempt to alter his person for a fifth time, Combs took to Instagram back in 2017 and announced to the world his new name, Brother Love. He wrote: “I’ve been praying on this and I know it’s risky because it could come off corny to some people, but I’ve decided to change my name again […] I will not be answering to Puffy, Diddy, Puff Daddy or any of my other monikers but Love or Brother Love.”

For one final time, the musician changed his name again and in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres back in May 2022, he cleared things up: “I decided that I’m just going to go with the name Diddy. See, Diddy’s my nickname. Love is my real name.”