Brad Pitt's Children Move to Shed His Surname

Family name change reflects a wider trend of adult children distancing themselves from famous parents, one woman says

Brad Pitt's children are dropping his surname, according to the BBC, part of what appears to be a broader effort by the actor's family to establish separate identities away from his fame.

The BBC's report did not detail the full scope of the changes but placed them in the context of a wider pattern among children of celebrities who choose to step out from under a famous parent's name.

The outlet spoke with a woman named Hannah, who described going through a similar process herself. She said she had used her mother's maiden name on social media for years before making the change legal, a gradual shift from an informal online identity to an official one.

Hannah's account offered a window into why someone might make that choice: to build a public and personal identity independent of a parent's public profile, even if it takes years to formalize. She said the online version came first, followed eventually by the legal paperwork.

The Pitt family has long drawn intense media scrutiny, particularly amid the actor's high-profile divorce from Angelina Jolie and its aftermath. Name changes among the children of famous parents are not uncommon, though they typically draw attention when they become public, as appears to be the case here.

Neither Pitt nor his children have issued a detailed public statement on the matter beyond what has already surfaced, according to the BBC's reporting.

— Compiled from reporting by the BBC.