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Angelina Jolie reveals heartbreaking reason behind daughter Shiloh's name

The Maleficent star's firstborn has a name with a lot of family history

angelina jolie daughters
Hanna Fillingham
US Managing Editor
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Angelina Jolie is a doting mum to six children, and last month they celebrated daughter Shiloh's 14th birthday during lockdown. The teenager is the first biological child of Angelina and her ex-husband Brad Pitt, and her name has a heartbreaking backstory. In a previous interview with Vanity Fair, the 45-year-old explained why they had chosen to call her daughter Shiloh. "It was a name my parents almost named their first child – there was a miscarriage: Shiloh Baptist. Because my father had been shooting in Georgia and that was the most southern name [my parents] could come up with. It's a name I always liked. I used to go under it in hotels: Shiloh Baptist. I'd gone under it when Brad called hotel rooms where I was staying."

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angelina jolie daughters© Photo: Instagram

Shiloh Jolie-Pitt's name has a significant meaning to Angelina's family

The Hollywood star is also mum to Maddox, 18, Pax, 16, Zahara, 15, and 11-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. The children split their time between Angelina and Brad's homes, and have continued to do so during the lockdown. In April, Angelina opened up about her family's experience during the coronavirus pandemic and how they had been coping. Writing in her column for Time magazine, the doting mum admitted that just like every other parent, she'd been struggling with homeschooling. "We're all locked in, we're doing all right… Well, the two things that affect children from my view the most being out of school is of course, education, and the challenges of education," she wrote.

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angelina jolie kids© Photo: Instagram

Angelina is a doting mum to six children

The Girl, Interrupted actress continued: "I know parents across the country are challenged with homeschool and maybe that's more a challenge for the parents than the children." The Hollywood star also opened up about her close relationship with her children and how she has learnt that it's okay not to be perfect. "Now, in the midst of this pandemic, I think of all the mothers and fathers with children at home. All hoping they can do everything right, answer all needs, and stay calm and positive. One thing that has helped me is to know that's impossible," she penned.

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Angelina added: "It is a lovely thing to discover that your children don't want perfect. They just want you honest. And doing your best. In fact, the more room they have to be great where you are weak, the stronger they may become. They love you. They want to help you. So in the end, it's the team you build. And in a way, they are raising you up too. You grow together."

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