Having famous parents isn't all it's cracked up to be when internet sleuths are quick to track down celebrity origins and declare that famous label of "nepo baby." While connections in the industry are certainly helpful, and don't just disappear with a simple name change, these celebrities have distanced themselves from the monikers of their famous parents for a variety of reasons.
Read on to find out which celebrity children changed their names and the reasons why.
© Variety via Getty ImagesMiley Cyrus was born Destiny Hope Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus is one of the world's most-loved pop singers and the beloved star of Disney classic Hannah Montana. But did you know her famous name was a purposeful change on the part of the singer?
Born Destiny Hope Cyrus, her parents believed their child was destined "to bring hope to the world." But she later took her childhood nickname, Smiley, and shortened it to Miley, eventually cementing the change legally in 2008. Thus the new full name of Miley Ray Cyrus was born, with "Ray" an ode to her family members, dad Billy Ray and grandfather Ronald Ray Cyrus.
© Getty ImagesElle King's name comes from her legal name and her mother's maiden name
Elle King
Born Tanner Elle Schneider, the daughter of former Saturday Night Live regular Rob Schneider is now more commonly known by her stage name, Elle King.
King comes from her mother, model London King, and Elle is her middle name. While it appears she wanted to keep some connection to her original name, she's shared in interviews that she created the stage name to bring a sense of separation from her famous father. “I don’t want to be associated with him," Elle said on Bunnie Xo’s Dumb Blonde podcast.
© Getty ImagesLouisa Jacobson is just one of Meryl Streep's children to go by a different name
Louisa Jacobson
On name alone, there's very little chance you'd guess Louisa Jacobson's very famous parentage. Born to Meryl Streep and Don Gummer, she changed her stage name from Louisa Gummer to Louisa Jacobson when she began her acting career as the other name was already registered with SAG.
Her siblings have also gone by different names on screen, to protect their privacy or avoid "nepo baby" allegations. Mamie Gummer was credited as Natalie Stern when she appeared with Meryl as a 20-month-old toddler in Heartburn (1986), while singer Henry Wolfe dropped the surname Gummer to avoid family associations.
© Europa Press via Getty ImagesVivian Wilson is the daughter of tech businessman Elon Musk
Vivian Wilson
When Vivian Wilson turned 18 in 2022, she used her newfound legal autonomy to assert her identity and step away from her billionaire father with whom she has a fractured relationship.
Born Xavier Musk, she stated that the name change was due to: "Gender Identity and the fact that I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form."
© Getty Images for The Recording Academy'Norah Jones' is an amalgamation of her mother's maiden name and her own middle name
Norah Jones
Norah Jones was born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar to sitar-player extraordinaire and internationally-recognized composer Ravi Shankar. She was quick to drop her first name and her famous father's last name, legally changing it to simply her middle two names, the latter of which is her mother's maiden name of Jones.
The change in name she made as a teen later allowed Norah to build fame of her own, away from the spotlight cast by her father's global success.
