We've seen Miley Cyrus change throughout the years — from her child star years as Hannah Montana to her rebellious Wrecking Ball era, and now to her new rocker persona. Although she's constantly criticized for her crazy antics like twerking on Robin Thicke in the 2013 VMAs and "playing" ex-husband Liam Hemsworth's feelings, it's hard not to admire her strength for enduring all that public scrutiny. After all, she's just another human trying to figure it out. Interestingly, using her stage name instead of her birth name is also symbolic of that evolution. Here's everything you need to know about the singer's real name.
What Is Miley Cyrus' Birth Name?
The Party in the U.S.A hitmaker was given the name Destiny Hope Cyrus at birth. Born in Franklin, Tennessee on November 23, 1992, Cyrus had her name even before she was born. "Before she was born, I just felt like it was her destiny to bring hope into the world," said her father Billy Ray Cyrus. The young Cyrus grew up with her dad and mom Trish on a farm outside of Nashville. Although her dad didn't want her to follow in his footsteps, Cyrus entered show business as early as the age of nine. Her first role was in an episode of the series Doc. It was followed by her first film, 2003's Big Fish.
Two years later, Cyrus landed the titular role in Disney's Hannah Montana. Executives initially thought the 13-year-old was too young for the part, but the singer had her heart set on it. The show garnered record ratings which instantly turned The Climb singer into a Hollywood star. Her album featuring the series' music even sold 3 million copies in 2006, just a year after Hannah Montana aired on cable TV. Cyrus retired from the teen role in 2011. Shortly after, her radical transformation began.
Why Did Miley Cyrus Change Her Real Name?
The name Miley came from the nickname "Smiley" which was given to the actress when she was a baby. Her parents Tish Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus said the We Can't Stop singer always smiled as an infant. Eventually, the nickname was shortened to Miley. Since that's what she was known for back home, the name just stuck with her, prompting her to use it as a stage name when she made her acting and singing debut in Hannah Montana. She's more Miley than Destiny, anyway. Fans can't even accept that that's her real name.
"No matter how many times I hear it my brain will never be able to process that Miley Cyrus’ real name is Destiny Hope," tweeted a fan in 2020. But OG fans claim that you're not a real fan if you didn't know about the singer's real name in the mid-2000s. "When I was like 6 I thought I was better than everyone cause I knew miley cyrus’ real name was destiny hope cyrus," wrote a longtime fan. Still, they can all agree that Destiny Hope just doesn't sound right and that they wouldn't call the singer by that name these days.
When Did Miley Cyrus Change Her Name From Destiny?
Cyrus didn't legally change her name to Miley Ray Cyrus until 2008. She added "Ray" as a tribute to her dad. It's also in honor of her grandfather, Kentucky politician Ronald Ray Cyrus. In 2019, the Midnight Sky singer changed her name again. This time, to take her then-husband's last name. Hemsworth made the announcement in an appearance on Live With Kelly and Ryan. "Miley Ray Hemsworth now, actually," said The Hunger Games actor. "She will still be obviously known as Miley Cyrus, but she took my name, which is great."
He added that he didn't ask her to take his last name. "I think that was honestly one of the best things about it. I didn't ask her to take my name," he said. "But she was like, 'No, of course, I'm taking your name.'" The new husband went on to gush about the "fun" changes in their first two weeks as a married couple. He even shared that he had changed Cyrus' name to "wife" on his phone. The couple tied the knot in December 2018. They broke up in August 2019, eventually finalizing their divorce in January 2020.
In an interview with Howard Stern, Cyrus revealed that her 10-year-relationship with Hemsworth ended because "there was too much conflict." She also addressed the rumors about "playing" the actor's feelings on Joe Rogan's podcast. "What really sucked about it wasn't the fact that me and someone that I loved realized that we don't love each other the way that we used to anymore," she said. "That's OK, I can accept that. I can't accept the villainizing and just all those stories."