Kit Harington didn't know his name until he was 11

Los Angeles - Kit Harington didn't know his real name until he was 11.

The Games of Thrones star, 27, admits his parents, David and Deborah, didn't tell him that his real moniker was Christopher until he'd been in the world over a decade.

When asked why his mother and father didn't tell him about his christen name, he told GLAMOUR magazine: "I haven't got a clue! I think they could see that I wanted to be Kit, but Christopher was a bit of a tradition. My brother's name is Jack, but his real name is John. Kit is traditionally an offshoot of Christopher, it's just not used that often."

The heartthrob also revealed that he and his brother Jack were given the same middle name by their mum.

He explained: "My middle name is Catesby. It's also my brother's middle name. Jake Catesby and Kit Catesby. It's my mum's maiden name, actually."

The Pompeii star, who shot to fame in 2008, admits he was considering entering Hollywood as Kit Catesby, rather than using his surname, but he eventually decided against it.

He said: "I nearly did [use Kit Catesby], but I thought it sounded too much like a 1950s talk-show host. I was close, actually! Sometimes I think that would have been a cool name, but Kit Harington works."