Have you ever heard of James Newell Osterberg? Of course you haven’t, because in music, having a great name is as vital as being able to hit the right notes. Mr Osterberg would make an unlikely moniker for the godfather of punk. But the name by which he is better known, Iggy Pop, is far more persuasive. And can you imagine a gangsta rapper called Christopher Wallace? It’s no wonder that the late Notorious B.I.G. opted for an alias.

“Having an exciting name is incredibly important in pop,” says Paul Barton, a talent scout for Warner Brothers. “It’s often the first thing that people will hear — even before the music.”

Jamie Nelson, another talent scout who works for EMI Music, agrees. “A great name can help build an act’s mystique. ‘Kylie’ or ‘Madonna’ are familiar now, but they initially sounded as though they came from another planet.”

Of course, a winning moniker need not be something freakish. The charts are full of global superstars with ploddingly dull names: Robbie Williams, James Blunt, James Morrison. “They just sound instantly familiar,” says Barton. “They were household names from the start.”

If you did happen to be christened, say, Madonna Ciccone or Prince Nelson, though, it can only work in your favour.

“Britney Spears was the perfect name for a cheeky schoolgirl from Louisiana,” says Barton. Equally good, he believes, are Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé Knowles and Nelly Furtado — all their given names.

So what should you do if you are desperate for fame, but don’t want to see your uncool name up in lights? Nelson recommends you give your initials a novel twist — KT Tunstall style — or try swapping your name for something fresh and funky, such as Pink.

But remember that having a poptastic moniker isn’t necessarily a guarantee of global superstardom. Just ask Alvin Stardust.

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