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Ahead of her Sept. 18 album Bass Persuades, Miley Cyrus came at her name like a wrecking ball. But she's just the latest celebrity offspring to drop her well-known surname. See who else made the cut.
Billy Ray Cyrus Reacts to Daughter Miley Cyrus Dropping Her Last Name
She can buy herself flowers. And now it's even easier for Miley Cyrus to write her name in the sand.
Because from here on out, the three-time Grammy winner is just being Miley. After dropping the Cyrus from her social media handles, the "Malibu" singer posted a red and black-filtered photo of herself, simply captioned, "MILEY."
And while some theorized this was a response to the pop star's once-strained relationship with her country singer dad, Billy Ray Cyrus' heart is neither achy, nor breaky.
In fact, it very much understands the decision.
"I told @miley yesterday I felt good about her going with her first name," Billy Ray shared in a Sept. 2 Instagram post. Referencing musical icons like Cher, Elvis Presley, Prince and Miley's own godmother Dolly Parton, he noted it was "a natural progression for an iconic superstar legend."
Besides, noted the "Achy Breaky Heart" artist, who once tried to convince his label to let him go by CYRUS, "I always called my little girl Miley. Just … Miley." (Well, technically she was born Destiny Hope before her sunny disposition earned her the nickname of Smiley, eventually truncated to Miley.)
The pop star—set to drop her 10th album, Bass Persuades, Sept. 18—is just the latest celeb kid to come at her famed moniker like a wrecking ball.
Four of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's six kids—Maddox, Zahara, Shiloh and Vivienne—have all decided that their double-barreled last name was the pitts, while Suri Noelle traded Dad Tom Cruise's surname for mom Katie Holmes' middle moniker.
And several more have had the audacity to hope they could better fly under the radar by not being immediately linked to their well-known parents. (See: Malia Obama's decision to be credited as Malia Ann on her 2023 film project The Heart.)
Check out all the celebrity offspring who tried to make a new name for themselves.
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Miley Cyrus
These days, she's just being Miley. In August 2026, the "Flowers" singer revealed she was snipping her famed name in half, revealing she'd be going by just Miley on her social media pages. That same day, she posted a red and black-filtered photo of herself with the caption, "MILEY."
But no need to tell her country singer dad Billy Ray Cyrus, whose heart very much understands. "Family means more than ever now," he wrote in a September 2026 Instagram post. "I always called my little girl Miley. Just…Miley."
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Chelsea O'Donnell
Rosie O'Donnell and ex Kelli Carpenter's adopted daughter filed to change her last name to her birth mom Deanna (née Neuens) Micoley's maiden name in January 2025, according to court documents obtained by People.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Suri Cruise
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' daughter went by Suri Noelle—her first name and her mom's middle name—for her high school graduation ceremony in June 2024.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
Malia Obama
Former U.S. President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's daughter Malia Obama dropped her last name to go by just her first and middle monikers—Malia Ann—when credited on her 2023 film project The Heart.
Andrea Staccioli/ Insidefoto/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images; Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images
Shiloh Jolie-Pitt
On her 18th birthday in May 2024, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt legally filed to change her name to just Shiloh Jolie after mom Angelina Jolie, dropping dad Brad Pitt's surname.
Getty Images for GQ
Olivia Jade
Designer Mossimo Giannulli and actress Lori Loughlin's daughter Olivia Jade Giannulli doesn't use her last name as an influencer, going by Olivia Jade for her YouTube career.
Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images forAudacy's Leading Ladies 2024
Elle King
Rob Schneider's daughter was born Tanner Elle Schneider but decided to go by Elle King (her middle name combined with her mom London King's surname) for her singing career.
Desiree Navarro/Getty Images
Samia Najimy Finnerty
Hocus Pocus star Kathy Najimy and The Hangover's Dan Finnerty share daughter Samia Najimy Finnerty, but she dropped their monikers to go by just Samia for her stage name as a singer.
Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images
Nicolas Cage
August Coppola—the brother of Francis Ford Coppola—welcomed son Nicolas Kim Coppola with dancer Joy Vogelsang. However, you know him by a different name: Nicolas Cage, inspired by superhero Luke Cage.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Christian Dior
Willow Smith
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's daughter dropped her last name to go by WILLOW as her music stage name.
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