10 Celebrity Kids Who Ditched Their Famous Names — What Happened

Having a famous last name can open doors. These celebrity children drew attention by using different names, whether through legal changes, stage names, or public identities.

Most celebrity children spend their lives being recognized because of a family name. The 10 people on this list made headlines for using different ones.

Those changes surfaced in court filings, film credits, graduation ceremonies, stage names, and social media profiles. Some were formal. Others were subtle. Together, they offer a glimpse into how celebrity children choose to present themselves in public.

1. Suri Cruise Quietly Started Using Her Mother's Name Instead

Suri Cruise appeared to retire one of Hollywood's most recognizable surnames before she even started college.

The daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes drew attention in June 2024 when she graduated from New York City's LaGuardia High School under a different name.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the 18-year-old appeared in graduation materials as Suri Noelle rather than Suri Cruise.

The name had surfaced earlier in the year as well. Suri reportedly used "Noelle" when she participated in her school's production of "Head Over Heels."

Fans quickly noticed the significance. Noelle is Katie's middle name.

The timing attracted even more attention because Tom was not publicly seen at the graduation.

The actor was instead photographed in London during Taylor Swift's Eras Tour while filming the latest "Mission: Impossible" movie.

Meanwhile, Katie and her daughter appeared focused on celebrating the milestone together. Photos showed the pair smiling, laughing, and posing outside the graduation venue.

Suri has not publicly explained the change, and it remains unclear whether Suri will become her permanent public name.

Suri's decision was surprising, but she was far from the only celebrity child making headlines for a name change.

2. Shiloh Jolie-Pitt Filed To Drop "Pitt" The Day She Turned 18

Shiloh waited until adulthood to make her move — then acted immediately.

According to People, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's daughter filed legal paperwork on May 27, 2024, seeking to remove "Pitt" from her surname.

The timing was impossible to miss. May 27 also happened to be Shiloh's 18th birthday. The filing requested that she be known as Shiloh Jolie.

For years, Shiloh had been one of the most visible members of the Jolie-Pitt family. That made the legal filing a major entertainment story almost instantly.

Neither Shiloh nor her parents publicly commented on the decision at the time.

However, the filing itself was enough to spark widespread discussion because it represented a formal attempt to change the name by which millions of people had known her since childhood.

The move would not be the last time a member of the Jolie-Pitt family appeared on this list.

3. Vivienne Quietly Changed Her Public Credit

Vivienne didn't file paperwork in public, but fans noticed a change anyway.

When the Broadway musical "The Outsiders" debuted, the Playbill listed Angelina and Brad's daughter as Vivienne Jolie rather than Vivienne Jolie-Pitt.

The credit immediately drew attention because it differed from the name many people had previously seen attached to her. Vivienne worked alongside her mother on the production, which Angelina helped produce.

Unlike Shiloh's situation, there has been no public confirmation that Vivienne legally changed her name. The difference appeared in a professional credit rather than a court filing.

This places Vivienne among several Jolie-Pitt siblings who have used versions of their names without the Pitt surname in public credits.

4. Malia Obama Reintroduced Herself As Malia Ann

One of the most recognizable surnames in American politics was nowhere to be found when Malia Obama's short film "The Heart" premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

Instead, the filmmaker was credited as Malia Ann, using her first and middle names rather than the Obama surname.

The choice immediately drew attention because Obama remains one of the most recognizable names in American public life.

Later, former First Lady Michelle Obama said on the "Sibling Revelry with Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson" podcast that she respected her daughter's decision to establish her own identity in the world of filmmaking.

Michelle said:

"Malia, you know, but we respected the fact that, you know, she's trying to make her way."

For some celebrity children, changing how they present their names has less to do with family relationships and more to do with building independent careers.

5. Elle King Built A Career Without Schneider

Most music fans still do not realize that Elle King's father is comedian Rob Schneider. That's partly because the singer intentionally chose not to build her career around the Schneider surname.

Born Tanner Elle Schneider, she eventually adopted her mother's last name. The decision allowed her to establish her own identity in the music industry. According to People, King has spoken openly about why she made the choice:

"I wanted to be my own person. I never wanted to borrow money from anybody, and I've worked hard for my family and for me."

She continued by explaining that she wanted a life she built for herself and wanted to know that her accomplishments came from her own work.

For King, using a different surname helped separate her career from her father's while allowing her music to stand on its own.

The next celebrity child on this list changed his name for a very different and much more personal reason.

6. Micheal Neeson Chose His Mother's Name For A Heartbreaking Reason

Micheal Neeson's name change had little to do with Hollywood and everything to do with family.

According to Daily Mail, the son of "Taken" star Liam Neeson officially became Micheal Richardson, adopting the surname of his late mother, actress Natasha Richardson.

The decision was publicly discussed by Natasha's mother, the legendary actress Vanessa Redgrave.

According to Vanessa, Micheal's decision had nothing to do with avoiding his father's fame. Instead, she said he adopted Natasha's surname because he wanted to honor his late mother and keep her memory close.

The gesture was especially meaningful because Micheal was only 13 when Natasha died after a skiing accident in Canada in 2009. That personal motivation makes his story one of the most touching examples on this list.

7. Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt's Graduation Featured Two Different Versions of Her Name

Zahara's graduation ceremony drew attention because the name printed in Spelman College's commencement program did not match the one announced onstage.

The program listed the graduate as Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt. However, when Zahara crossed the stage, the announcer introduced her as "Zahara Marley Jolie." The audience immediately erupted in cheers as she walked forward.

Neither Zahara nor her representatives have publicly addressed the difference between the printed program and the stage announcement.

The moment quickly generated headlines because it marked another public instance in which a member of the Jolie-Pitt family appeared without "Pitt" attached to their name.

The brief announcement lasted only seconds, but it quickly became one of the ceremony's most talked-about moments.

As questions continued to surround some of the Jolie-Pitt children, another sibling would soon take a more formal step.

8. Maddox Took The Process One Step Further

Maddox reportedly moved beyond public appearances and professional credits by pursuing a legal name change.

According to USA Today, Angelina and Brad's oldest son filed paperwork in April 2026 seeking to change his name from Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt to Maddox Chivan Jolie.

The filing reportedly listed the reason simply as "personal." However, months before the paperwork surfaced, Maddox had already begun using a shorter version of his name in his professional work.

Credits for Angelina Jolie's film "Couture," where he served as an assistant director, identified him as Maddox Jolie. By comparison, his earlier credit on Netflix's "Maria" listed him as Maddox Jolie-Pitt.

9. Chelsea O'Donnell's Name Change Came Amid Family Headlines

Chelsea O'Donnell's reported name change attracted attention because of its timing.

According to court records obtained by People, comedian Rosie O'Donnell's adopted daughter filed paperwork in January 2025 seeking to change her name.

Reports indicated that Chelsea wanted to use her biological mother's maiden name, becoming Chelsea Neuens. The filing generated headlines shortly after reports emerged regarding Rosie's estate planning.

As reported by the DailyMail, Rosie had removed Chelsea from her will before relocating to Ireland.

The outlet also cited a source who claimed the issue was not about money but about long-standing feelings regarding family relationships.

Neither Chelsea nor Rosie has publicly framed the situation in those exact terms.

Most of the entries on this list involve changes to a surname. The final example, however, appears to center on an entirely different kind of name change.

10. Jennifer Lopez's Child Has Drawn Attention Over a New Name

Jennifer Lopez's child, long known publicly as Emme Maribel Muñiz, recently became the subject of online discussion after being linked to the name Oskar Jacob Muñiz. This reportedly started with a college announcement.

A post from the Instagram account Windward26College congratulated Oskar Muñiz on attending Sarah Lawrence College and pursuing Theater and Studio Arts. The post tagged the account @oskarjjacob.

However, the Windward26College post later appeared to have been removed from the account.

Additional attention focused on the tagged profile itself. The account uses he/him pronouns and identifies its owner as "Oskar," matching the name used in the college announcement. The profile also featured a photo that appeared to resemble Emme.

Neither Lopez nor Emme has publicly announced a legal name change.

The college announcement surfaced around the same time Lopez was publicly discussing her twins' plans after high school.

Speaking about Max and Emme, Lopez said she was proud of how hard they worked throughout school, noting that both were accepted to all five colleges they applied to and received scholarships.

She also reflected on the challenges they faced while navigating a common neurodevelopmental disorder:

"They have ADHD and so they learn differently and there was struggles and times, and I'm just so proud of them because they did what they said they were gonna do."

Lopez said she is most proud of the people her children have become, saying, "They're good people. They're loving, good-hearted people."

While Lopez's child appears to be using a different first name, another celebrity child on this list stands out for the opposite reason: he has continued using the name the public has always known.

Bonus: Knox Jolie-Pitt Is Now the Only Public Holdout

After Shiloh, Vivienne, Zahara, and Maddox all appeared in headlines involving their names, attention has naturally turned to Knox Jolie-Pitt.

Unlike several of his siblings, Knox has not publicly dropped the Pitt surname.

That fact has become more noticeable as multiple members of the Jolie-Pitt family have appeared publicly using versions of their names without "Pitt."

In recent years, Knox has largely stayed out of the spotlight. Still, he has occasionally been photographed alongside Angelina during everyday outings in Los Angeles.

One appearance showed the pair leaving a pet store together. Another captured them grocery shopping after Angelina and Brad finalized their divorce.

More recently, photographers spotted Knox spending his birthday with his mother while taking driving lessons and running errands around the city.

For now, Knox remains the only Jolie-Pitt child who has not publicly appeared to move away from the surname in the way several of his siblings have. Whether that ever changes remains unknown.

Whether the changes appeared in court filings, Broadway Playbills, graduation ceremonies, stage names, or social media profiles, each reflected a personal decision about identity.

For these celebrity children, a famous last name may have opened doors, but it was not always the name they chose to carry forward.