Jonathan's Space Pages

Astronaut name changes

List of astronaut name changes

The name given in the lists of space travellers and trainees is the current name of the individual. Here I list known changes and ambiguities in those names.


1) Ambiguities
Alternative   Adopted
Ahad Mohmand, Abdul  Mohmand, Abdul Ahad
Cheli-Merchez, Marianne  Merchez, Marianne
Masum, Mohammed   Dauran Ghulam Masum, Mohammad
Al Faris, Mohammed  Fares, Mohammed Achmed al
Vela, Rodolfo Neri  Neri Vela, Rodolfo
Fulford, Millie Hughes Wiley Hughes-Fulford, Millie
Radhakrishnan, Paramaswaran     Radhakrishnan, P
Savitskaya Khatkovksaya, S Savistkaya, S
Ganzorig, Maydarjaviyn  Gankhyuyag, Maydarjaviyn
Wang Gun-Jin                    Wang, Taylor
Trinh Huu-Chau                  Trinh, Eugene
Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Al Masrie bin Sheikh Mustapha
                                Shukor, Muszaphar
2) Name Changes
Current    Original
Aldrin, Buzz   Aldrin, Edwin Eugene, Jr.
Ansari, Anoushe                 Raishiyan, Anoushe
Aunon-Chancellor, Serena        Auñón, Serena
Baker, Ellen   Shulman, Ellen
Barron, Kayla Jane              Sax, Kayla Jane
Bezos, Jeffrey Preston          Jorgenson, Jeffrey Preston      1968
Caldwell Dyson, Tracy           Caldwell, Tracy Ellen           2009?
Clark, Laurel B   Salton, Laurel Blair
Currie, Nancy   Decker, Nancy   1995 Feb? to 2015
Currie-Gregg, Nancy  Decker, Nancy   2015
Dzhanibekov, Vladimir   Krysin, Vladimir
Fisher, Anna   Tingle, Anna
Gorie, Dominic L. Pudwill       Pudwill, Dominic L.
Haignere, Claudie               Andre, Claudie
Hilliard Robsertson, Patricia   Hilliard, Patricia              2000?
Hughes-Fulford, Millie  Hughes, Millie Elizabeth
Ivanov, Georgi                  Kakalov, Georgi                 1978
Kavandi, Janet L                Sellers, Janet L
Koch, Christina                 Hammock, Christina              2015?
Kutznetsova-Pitskhelauri, T Kuznetsova, Tatiana
LaComb, Maureen   Gaudette, Maureen
Lopez-Alegria, Michael          Lopez-Alegria, Miguel Eladio
Lucid, Shannon Wells  Wells, Matilda Shannon
Macleay, Lachlan  Maclaey, Lachlan, Jr
Magnus, Sandra H  Hall, Sandra
Mann, Nicole                    Aunapu, Nicole
McAuliffe, Christa  Corrigan, Christa
Metcalf-Lindenburger, Dorothy   Metcalf, Dorothy
Morgan, Barbara   Radding, Barbara
Moses, Beth                     Stubbings, Nathalie Beth
Mukai, Chiaki   Naito, Chiaki
Nowak, Lisa   Caputo, Lisa
Omel'chenko,Svetlana   Yeremeeva, Svetlana
Polyakov, Valeriy Vladimirovich Korshunov, Valeriy Ivanovich   1957
Ponomaryova, Valentina  Kovalevskaya, Valentina
Prinz, Dianne   Kasnic, Diane
Ramon, Ilan                     Wolferman, Ilan
Roberts, Katherine  Sparks, Katherine
Seddon Gibson, Rhea  Seddon, Rhea
Sergeychika, Zhanna  Yorkina, Zhanna               1963
Serova, Elena                   Kuznetsova, Elena
Sidey-Gibbons, Jennifer         Sidey, Jennifer               2018?
Stefanyshyn-Piper, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn, Heidemarie
Still-Kilrain, Susan            Still, Susan
Stott, Nicole Passonno          Passonno, Nicole Marie
Thornton, Kathryn  Cordell, Kathryn
Yamazaki, Naoko                 Sumino, Naoko
Yeliseev, Aleksei               Kureitis, Aleksei
Walpot, Heike   John, Heike
Weaver, Carol   Belt, Carol
Williams, Sunita                Pandya, Sunita
3) Name Changes: no longer current
Other name   Current name
Andre-Deshays, Claudie          Haignere, Claudie
Smotherman, Jan                 Davis, Jan   Pre sel; changed to stepfam name
Dozier, Jan   Davis, Jan   Pre sel; married then divorced
Tereshkova-Nikolaeva, V  Tereshkova, Valentina  Post flight to 1970s?
Wiley, Millie Hughes  Hughes-Fulford, Millie
Oldak, Judith    Resnik, Judith   Pre sel
Sherlock, Nancy   Decker, Nancy   Sel to 1995 Feb?
Voss Ford, Janice  Voss, Janice    1994 to 1994
Ganzorig, M.                    Gankhyuyag, Maydarjaviyn        For flight only?