What was Napoleon Bonaparte's name before he changed it?

The story behind the answer

The correct answer is Napoleone di Buonaparte. Born in 1769 on Corsica—an island with strong Italian influences newly annexed by France—Napoleon’s family used the Italianate form of their name. As he pursued a career in the French army and rose during the Revolution, he francized it to Napoléon Bonaparte, dropping the “di” and changing “Buonaparte” to “Bonaparte.”

A handy memory trick: “buono” means “good” in Italian and “bon” means “good” in French. So he went from “Buon-aparte” (Italian) to “Bon-aparte” (French), reflecting his shift from Corsican-Italian roots to French national identity.