What is Joan Jett's real name?

Joan Jett's real name is Joan Larkin.

She was born Joan Marie Larkin on September 22, 1958, in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. Her family later moved to Maryland and then California, where she became deeply involved in Los Angeles's rock scene and received her first guitar at age 13.

Jett adopted the surname “Jett” as a teenager because she felt it had a stronger rock-star sound. She co-founded the all-female band The Runaways in 1975 and later became famous with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

A common mix-up is that “Joan Larkin” is sometimes expanded to her full birth name, Joan Marie Larkin. Both refer to the same person; “Joan Jett” is her professional name. Her best-known hit, “I Love Rock ’n Roll,” topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982.