Two of Brad Pitt's adopted children, Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt (21) and Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt (24), have taken legal steps to remove their father's surname. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.
In April, they filed documents to remove their father's surname from their names. In June and July, the siblings published their name-change intention in a local newspaper for four weeks. Both have already used the surname Jolie in some circumstances, including Zahara during her graduation ceremony earlier this year and Maddox in his film credits. Another of Jolie and Pitt's six children, Shiloh, changed her surname to Jolie in 2024. Zahara and Maddox will have to wait until their court appearances in September to get a judge's approval.
Jolie met Pitt on the set of the 2005 film Mr and Mrs Smith, married in 2014, and filed for divorce in 2016 following 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 regretted how things had unfolded and, while "heartbroken," he respects his children's decisions.
Hannah, a 25-year-old from California, also dropped her father's surname, combining her mother's maiden name and her husband's surname to become Leonard-Ripley. Her parents divorced when she was a toddler, and she hasn't had much of a relationship with her father since. She last saw him seven years ago. "I've never felt like my last name reflected the love that encompasses my life," Hannah says. She adds that her mother's love and her husband's love are very important to her.
Dr. Harry Parkin, a lecturer at the University of Chester, says surnames are closely connected to identity. When people change them, it can be a sign they want to disconnect. Maggie from Lincolnshire told BBC News she "hated" the surname inherited from her father and didn't want to be associated with it. After changing to her mother's surname, she feels "more like myself."
Dr. Becca Bland, a family counsellor specializing in estrangement, says changing a surname can be a psychological defense mechanism. Dr. Lucy Blake from the University of the West of England notes that people estranged from parents may feel grief, loss, and a sense of freedom. She dismisses criticism that some young people cut ties "without much thought," saying research shows adults do so with great care.
In England and Wales, people have two options to change their surname: the cheaper unenrolled deed poll (done alone or via a private company) or enrolled deed poll (through the High Court, £53.05). In Northern Ireland, changing a surname costs £35.