Benedict Cumberbatch tried to ditch his "stupid" birth name

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Benedict Cumberbatch wants it to be well known he deserves absolutely no credit for his head-scratching name.

The Sherlock actor, who recently became engaged to theater and opera director Sophie Hunter, opened up about his unique last name during a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal.

"I was going to be Benedict Carlton," the 38-year-old star explained, recalling how he tried to convince his agents a name change was a great idea. "I said, '[Cumberbatch] sounds a bit like a fart in the bath. It's clumsy. Dad doesn't use it.'"

I think it sounds more like 'cucmber-patch' more than an self-aerated soak, but I digress. Benedict's father is English actor Timothy Carlton, whose birth name is actually Timothy Carlton Congdon Cumberbatch.

Despite Cumberbatch's hunch his cumbersome name might be holding him back, the agents insisted he keep it, even if it only left people 'to wonder, Cumber-what?' he was still on their minds.

Benedict added, "When people started suggesting I’d made it up, I was like, 'Well thank you for crediting me with that much imagination. I don’t think I could possibly make up a name as stupid as the one I was born with.'"

I too was given a doozy of a last name, coincidentally also in the sounds-like-found category. While my imaginary friend is a 'cucumber patch,' I grew up with a name that conjures up the schnitzel. I won't go as far as to say I hated it, but I wasn't upset to become a pronounced, fairly spell-able McGinnis, either.

Anyone want to weigh in on wether or not the beautiful Sophie Hunter will become Sophie Cumberbatch or not when they exchange vows?

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Are there any last names you'd ditch, or is a quirky family name something a person just has to learn to accept?

Photo: REX USA/Erik Pendzich