Rapper Cardi B, real name Belcalis Marlenis Cephus, shot to fame in 2015 and has since released countless hits, but some people are still unsure where her name comes from.

Chart-topping sensation Cardi B has left many fans scratching their heads over the origin of her iconic stage name.

Despite her massive success in the music industry, with a debut studio album ‘Invasion of Privacy’ that rocketed to number one on the Billboard 200 in 2018 and recognition from Forbes as a leading force among female rappers, the backstory of her moniker remains a mystery to some.

A curious Quora user recently posed the question: “What is the meaning of the name?” To which Cardi B, whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Cephus, provided an answer during an appearance on The Wendy Williams Show, explaining her stage name is a nod to the popular rum brand Bacardi.

An IMDb statement reads: “The host asked where she got her showbiz moniker. The singer revealed that it stems from alcohol.” She said: “My sister’s name is Hennessy, so everybody used to be like ‘Bacardi’ to me.

“Then I shortened it to Cardi B. The ‘B’ stands for whatever, depending on the day…beautiful or bully,” she said, referring to the iconic rum and spirits brand. “No one calls me Belcalis except for my family, my mother, and my daddy.”

Further explaining this, a fan commented on Quora: “Cardi B’s real name is Belcalis Almanzar, a name that’s pretty hard to pronounce for non-Spanish speakers. The name Cardi B comes from a nickname she got in high school effectively being Bacardi, a popular rum. Simply put, Cardi B is a derivation of Bacardi.”

Another user added: “Cardi B and her sister were named after alcoholic drinks. She has a sister with the name Hennessey Corolina who is starting as a rapper and she is named after the drink Barcardi. The bond the sisters share goes back to childhood when they were growing up in the Bronx borough of New York City.”

Another fan said: “Hennessy has been candid about the fact that, oftentimes, Cardi B served as more of a mother figure than that of a sister. She helped to protect her from dangerous situations and the pair were as thick as thieves.

“In fact, Hennessy is to thank for Cardi B’s nickname. The pair were together so often that friends and family began to refer to Cardi B (whose birth name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar) as Bacardi, which eventually morphed into Cardi B.”