Quiz on name changes

In September 1960, the Sudanese Republic was renamed Mali after the withdrawal of Senegal from the Federation. This quiz is about name changes.

From this to that

1 Who published four novels under the name Richard Bachman because his publishers felt readers wouldn’t buy more than one novel per year from a single author?

2 When Hilda Hookham and her daughter Margaret were looking for a stage name for the latter, they settled on her mother’s maiden name and a variation of her first name. What was the stage name?

3 The first European name for mainland Australia was suggested by Dutch seafarer Abel Tasman. What was it?

4 What name did Upper Peru, formerly governed by the Real Audiencia of Charcas, take in 1825, after it gained freedom following a prolonged struggle?

5 The Matsushita Electric Corporation was founded in 1918 as a producer of light bulb sockets. In 2008 it decided to take the name of its most popular brand. By which name is it now known?

6 Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm was a student activist in Germany who escaped to Norway in 1933 to get away from the Nazis. What name did he adopt to make sure he could not be traced, something that he retained for his post-war political career?

7 Paramount Studios decided that Archibald Leach needed a change of name for his film career. Leach figured that given the success of Clark Gable and Gary Cooper, the letters ‘c’ and ‘g’ were probably lucky. Which name did he finally adopt?

8 Stefani Germanotta decided on a catchy name for her music career and went for a variation inspired by a song from her favourite group, Queen. What is her stage name?

9 Khadki was the capital city of the Shah of Ahmednagar. It then became known as Fatehnagar after Fateh Khan ascended the throne. But once the Mughals conquered Ahmednagar, the city was named after one of their princes. What has it been named since then?

10 Brian Hugh Warner picked up his first name from a Hollywood legend and his surname from a serial killer. What does he call himself?

Answers

1 Stephen King; readers, though, noted the similarities in style and the publishers finally revealed his identity

2 Dame Margot Fonteyn, the legendary ballet dancer; even her brother Felix adopted Fonteyn as surname

3 New Holland; the part claimed by the British later became New South Wales

4 Bolivia, in honour of Venezuelan general Simon Bolivar, who was intimately involved in their freedom struggle

5 Panasonic, currently among the world’s largest television manufacturers

6 Willy Brandt, who became the German chancellor in the late 1960s

7 Cary Grant

8 Lady Gaga, from the Queen hit Radio Gaga

9 Aurangabad, named after Aurangzeb, then viceroy of the Deccan

10 Marilyn Manson

Joy Bhattacharjya is a quizmaster;

Twitter: @joybhattacharj

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