Celebrity children who don’t use their famous family’s last name
Having a famous last name in Hollywood can be a blessing or a curse. If your name is recognizable enough, then you run the risk of being bombarded with questions about your famous family, which can be frustrating if you’re trying to create a career of your own. Plus, having a celebrity surname makes it easier for the public to accuse you of being a nepo baby. It makes sense why some people want a fresh start.
Take a look at some of the children of celebrities who decided they were done with their well-known surnames. Some made the change for professional reasons, while others had more personal motives. Keep reading to find out more.
Angelina Jolie
It’s easy to forget that Angelina Jolie is the daughter of actor Jon Voight. Born Angelina Jolie Voight on June 4, 1975, the Oscar-winning actress has had a strained relationship with her father over the years. Ultimately, she decided to legally change her name and use her middle name as her surname. A judge granted her request in 2002.
Nicolas Cage
Some of us would think that being the nephew of Francis Ford Coppola would be a great asset, especially if you want to become an actor in Hollywood, but Nicolas Cage didn’t see it that way. As a young actor, he chose to change his last name from Coppola to Cage to avoid accusations of nepotism.
If you’re wondering where he got the idea to use Cage as a last name, it came from the comic book character Luke Cage.
Alison Brie
Like many actresses, Alison Brie decided to go by her first and middle name when she entered the industry. Part of the reason for this is that she is a member of the notable Schermerhorn family, an old and prolific family in early America that helped establish New York City.
Besides her famous and historical ties, Brie ultimately decided to shorten her name because “Schermerhorn” is hard to spell and pronounce, which is not ideal for an actress in the spotlight.
Malia Ann
Most of us watched Malia Ann Obama grow up right before our eyes. After all, it’s sort of impossible to escape the spotlight when you live at the White House, and your dad is the president of the United States.
Now a young woman in her 20s, Malia is looking to make her own name for herself that isn’t tied to her famous parents. After graduating from Harvard, Malia adopted the professional name “Malia Ann” as she forges a career in the film and television industry.
Taylor Dearden
One of the breakout stars of HBO’s medical drama The Pitt, viewers were surprised to learn that actress Taylor Dearden is the daughter of Emmy-winning actor Bryan Cranston. She decided to drop her dad’s last name, going instead by her mother’s maiden name, as she pursued an acting career to avoid the “nepo-baby” label. The young actress wanted to build a career based on her own merit instead of her family’s famous name.
Emilio Estevez
Emilio Estevez comes from a family of actors, but you wouldn’t know it from the names alone. Estevez is the son of Martin Sheen, who changed his name from Ramón Estevez to help secure more roles in Hollywood. Estevez’s brother, Charlie Sheen, decided to follow his dad and adopted the Sheen stage name, despite his birth name being Carlos Irwin Estevez.
Interestingly, by keeping his birth name, Emilio Estevez was able to craft his own identity for himself, separate from his father’s and brother’s.
Suri Noelle
Suri Noelle was born Suri Cruise to actors Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes on April 18, 2006. Tom and Katie divorced in 2012, giving Katie full custody over Suri. It is unknown how much interaction Tom and Suri have had since the divorce, but many speculate that their relationship is quite strained.
In 2026, Suri distanced herself further from her famous father when she legally changed her name to Suri Noelle, taking “Noelle” from her mother’s middle name. Reports say that Suri is preparing to make her acting debut on stage.
Zahara Jolie
Zahara Marley Jolie is the oldest daughter of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Zahara was adopted by the famous couple in 2006 from an orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, when she was an infant.
Growing up, Zahara’s full legal name was Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt. After Angelina and Brad split, Zahara filed a petition to drop “Pitt” from her last name, choosing only to use her mother’s surname.
Vivienne Jolie
Vivienne Marcheline Jolie was born on July 12, 2008, to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. She and her twin brother, Knox, are the youngest children of the former power couple. Like her siblings, Vivienne filed a petition in 2026 to remove “Pitt” from her legal name. Official court documents cite “personal reasons” for her decision, with many speculating that Brad and Angelina’s children are choosing to distance themselves from their father amid the fallout from their parents’ divorce.
Shiloh Jolie
Shiloh Nouvel Jolie is the oldest biological child of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. She filed a petition on May 27, 2024, her 18th birthday, to remove “Pitt” from her last name. A judge granted her request in August 2024. Shiloh’s legal representative said she made the decision to change her name following “painful events.”
Maddox Jolie
Maddox Jolie is the oldest child of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. He was adopted by Angelina in March 2002, and his name was legally changed to Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt when he was adopted by Brad in 2006.
In 2026, Maddox also filed a petition to remove Pitt from his last name. His case is currently under review by a judge, but he is going by “Maddox Jolie” unofficially for the time being.
Knox Jolie-Pitt
Surprisingly, the youngest son of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt hasn’t followed his siblings and requested a legal name change… yet. However, reports say that when it comes to school functions, such as his high school graduation, he went by Knox Jolie. Perhaps he, too, will legally change his name in the future.
Albert Brooks
Acclaimed actor Albert Brooks’ birth name is Albert Lawrence Einstein. He is the son of late comedian Harry Einstein and the brother of late comedian Bob Einstein. In Brooks’ case, he changed his name to avoid being confused with Albert Einstein, the celebrated physicist. He actually decided to use “Brooks” to pay tribute to his longtime friend, Mel Brooks. So, in a way, he traded one famous last name for another.
Elle King
Elle King is a famous country-rock singer with a husky voice best known for her hit “Exes and Ohs”. You might be surprised to learn, however, that this singer is the daughter of comedian Rob Schneider. Elle King’s birth name was Tanner Elle Schneider. She decided to use “King” – her mother’s maiden name – as her professional name to erase any ties to her dad’s career.
Micheál Richardson
Micheál Richardson is a young up-and-coming actor who just happens to be the son of Liam Neeson and the late actress Natasha Richardson. Natasha Richardson tragically passed away after a skiing accident in 2009. Even though Micheál is close with his dad, he decided to change his last name from “Neeson” to “Richardson” to honor his mother’s memory.
Olivia Jade
Olivia Jade is a social media influencer with a large following on YouTube and Instagram. Even though she is the daughter of actress Lori Loughlin and fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, Olivia Jade has never used her famous surname for her professional career online. That decision was likely for the best, as her parents became famous for the wrong reasons when they were arrested and convicted of fraud and bribery charges in a college admissions scandal in 2019.
Willow
Willow is the daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. Since both of her parents have massive careers in Hollywood, Willow decided to drop her last name when she created her professional persona. As she continues to build her career in the alternative music space, she doesn’t want her family’s famous name to influence her success.
Jaden
Like his sister, Willow, Jaden also decided to use a mononym as he continues to pursue a career in the acting and music fields. As a child, Jaden starred alongside his dad in The Pursuit of Happyness and Gemini Man, but it looks like any future family collaborations will be on hold now that Jaden is trying to make a name for himself.
Vivian Wilson
Vivian Wilson is the daughter of Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. In recent years, Wilson and Musk have publicly disputed and discussed their estrangement. As a result of their strained relationship, Wilson chose to use her mother’s surname. Since breaking ties with her father, Wilson has been creating a far-reaching social media presence in addition to a successful modeling career.
Langley Fox
Langley Fox is an actress, artist, model, and designer based in California. Her diverse and creative career makes sense because she is the great-granddaughter of author Ernest Hemingway. In fact, her birth name is Langley Fox Crisman Hemingway. However, in order to build a career of her own, separate from her family’s famous name, she chooses to go by Langley Fox professionally.
Chelsea Neuens
Chelsea Neuens is the adopted daughter of actress and former TV host Rosie O’Donnell. Growing up, Chelsea shared a last name with her adoptive mom. However, in 2025, she filed to change her name to her birth mother’s maiden name. This move came amid reports of a rift between O’Donnell and her adopted daughter.
Samia
Singer Samia was born Samia Najimy Finnerty, making her the daughter of actors Kathy Najimy and Dan Finnerty. Kathy Najimy is most famous for her roles in Hocus Pocus and King of the Hill, while her husband, Dan Finnerty, is known for projects like Old School and The Hangover. When she decided to pursue a career as a singer and songwriter, Samia opted for a mononym.
Brooklyn Peltz Beckham
Brooklyn Beckham is the oldest son of David and Victoria Beckham. He was born at the height of his parents’ careers; Victoria was dominating pop culture as one of the Spice Girls, and David Beckham was easily considered one of the best soccer players of his generation.
When Brooklyn married Nicola Peltz in 2022, he added “Peltz” before his famous surname. Even though he hasn’t officially dropped “Beckham” from his legal name, he has since distanced himself from his parents and siblings amid an ongoing feud.
Odessa A’zion
Actress Odessa A’zion was born Odessa Zion Segall Adlon. Her parents are Pamela Adlon, a notable voice-over actress, and Felix O. Adlon, an acclaimed director and producer. While creating her stage name, Odessa decided to use her middle name, but modified it to “A’zion” to pay tribute to her given surname. Like many on this list, the Marty Supreme star wanted to find her own success in Hollywood without the help of her parents’ names.
Mia Threapleton
If you’ve seen The Buccaneers or The Phoenician Scheme, then you’ve seen actress Mia Threapleton in some of her most notable roles to date. However, did you know that Mia is the daughter of acclaimed actress Kate Winslet? Her full legal name is Mia Honey Winslet Threapleton. Even though her dad is director Jim Threapleton, she decided to use her dad’s less famous surname when she debuted as an actress to avoid comparisons to her renowned mother.
Joe Anders
Another one of Kate Winslet’s children, Joe Anders, also decided to drop his parents’ well-known last names when he broke out as an actor. Joe Anders was born Joe Alfie Winslet Mendes to Kate Winslet and director Sam Mendes. Like his sister, he wanted to avoid comparisons to his famous parents, which is completely understandable since they are all in the same industry. Currently, Joe is starring in the television remake of Cape Fear.
Louisa Jacobson
Actress Louisa Jacobson is best-known for her role as Marian Brook on The Gilded Age. She is the daughter of three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep and her ex-husband, Don Gummer. Even though her sisters, Grace Gummer and Mamie Gummer, are actresses and use their famous surname, Louisa was forced to change hers because another performer was already registered with SAG-AFTRA as “Louisa Gummer”. Instead, Louisa uses her middle name as her professional surname.
Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish is easily one of the most recognizable singers on the planet and has a unique name that matches her creative approach to music. Fans might be surprised to learn that the singer was born Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell. Her primary reason for shortening her name was that it was a bit long for a professional singer, but her father is also actor Patrick O’Connell, so the change also helped her break out on her own.
FINNEAS
Billie Eilish’s brother, FINNEAS, has played a major role in her music career, helping her write and produce some of her most celebrated hits. A popular singer in his own right, FINNEAS took a cue from his sister and also decided to drop “O’Connell” from his professional name because he felt it was too clunky.
Stella Lefty
Considered one of the breakout musicians of 2026, Stella Lefty is the daughter of tech billionaire Eric Lefkofsky, the CEO of Tempus AI and co-founder of Groupon. Many believe that the up-and-coming singer shortened her name to avoid a direct connection to her famous father in the media, but she claims that “Lefty” is an old family nickname.
