There was never an attempt to hide Ringo's birth name. He started off as Richard Starkey, used the stage name "Rings Starr" for awhile (because of two rings on each hand), and as legend would have it, changed it to Ringo, which he thought sounded like a cowboy name. Ringo loved westerns in his younger days. Coincidentally, in 1964, Lorne Greene (of Bonanza fame) had a hit record about a cowboy named "Ringo". (Actually, it was not a coincidence.) The other Beatles referred to him as Ringo, but usually called him "Richie" privately. His first wife, Maureen, did. And I suspect Barbara Bach (yummy) also calls him Richie.
Now, on to a more important question: Does Ringo still hate Donald Duck? <wink>