Brad Pitt's Children Drop His Surname — Experts Explain Why People Change Their Names

Brad Pitt's Children Change Surnames

Two of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's six children, Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt, 21, and Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt, 24, have filed documents to drop their father's surname. They began the process earlier this year, and in June and July they fulfilled a legal requirement by publishing their name-change intention in a local newspaper for four weeks. Both siblings have already used the surname Jolie in some contexts—Zahara at her graduation ceremony earlier this year and Maddox in film credits. Another of Jolie and Pitt's children, Shiloh, changed her surname to Jolie in 2024. The siblings will need court approval in September.

Jolie and Pitt met on the set of the 2005 film "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," married in 2014, and filed for divorce in 2016 after an incident on a private plane. Jolie told Vogue in 2020 that she left Pitt for the "wellbeing" of her family. A source close to Pitt told BBC News that he regrets how things have unfolded and respects his children's decisions.

Personal Stories

Hannah, a 25-year-old from California, legally changed her surname to Leonard-Ripley last month, removing her father's surname and combining her mother's maiden name with her husband's surname. Her parents divorced when she was a toddler, and she hasn't had much of a relationship with her father since. Hannah said she had no emotional connection to her previous surname and often confused people by using two different surnames. She wanted to change her name for years but was put off by the cost; getting married gave her the push.

Maggie from Lincolnshire said she never felt emotionally connected to her father's surname, which included a profanity that led to teasing at school. She waited until age 16 to change it without her father's consent and now feels "more like myself" after adopting her mother's surname.

Expert Insights

Dr. Harry Parkin, a lecturer at the University of Chester who studies name history, says surnames are closely tied to identity. Changing a surname can be a sign of wanting to disconnect and disassociate. Dr. Becca Bland, a family counselor specializing in estrangement, notes that people distant from a relative may change their surname as a psychological defense mechanism to separate from something problematic or traumatic. Dr. Lucy Blake from the University of the West of England, whose research focuses on family relationships, says estranged individuals may feel grief, loss, and freedom, and often fear judgment from others. She dismisses criticism that younger people cut ties without thought, noting that research shows adults often do so with careful consideration.

Process and Costs

In England and Wales, there are two options: an unenrolled deed poll (cheaper, can be done alone or through a company) or an enrolled deed poll (public record, £53.05). In Northern Ireland, the cost is £35; in Scotland, £40. For those under 16, consent from everyone with parental responsibility is required. In California, Hannah's name change took about three months and cost hundreds of dollars, including a $400 filing fee and $130 for newspaper ads.