Sophia Loren was born “Sofia Scicolone” on September 20, 1934, in Rome.
According to Vanity Fair, “Sogno, one of the magazines she worked for, changed her name to Sofia Lazzaro—which they considered classier than Scicolone.”
Sophia Loren’s name would be changed again. The producers of the film, Africa Under the Seas, wanted a name that was not as Italian.
The spelling of her first name was altered from Sofia to Sophia, as the initial spelling was too Italian. However, today many individuals still spell her first name the Italian way.
Sophia’s most well-known last name, “Loren”, was modeled after the name of Swedish actress Marta Toren.
Sources:
- Vanity Fair [Sophia’s Choices]
