Chuck Norris was born with the name Carlos Ray Norris.

Carlos Ray Norris was born on March 10, 1940, in Ryan, Oklahoma. He joined the Air Force in 1958. During basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, his fellow airmen began calling him Chuck. This happened while he was training to be a member of the military police.In the 1960s, Norris began teaching martial arts and acting in movies. He chose to use Chuck as his professional stage name. Short names are often easier for audiences to remember. This is a common strategy used to build a recognizable brand in the entertainment industry.His first movie role was in the 1968 film The Wrecking Crew. By 1978, he was a major star in the movie Good Guys Wear Black. While the world knows him as Chuck, his legal name on official documents is still Carlos Ray Norris. He has used his fame to talk about his childhood and his Irish and Cherokee heritage.