The ‘Wrecking Ball’ star legally filed for the change when she was just 16
Fans of Miley Cyrus are only just realising the ‘Flowers’ singer legally changed her name while still starring on Disney channel.
Miley, the daughter of beloved country singer Billy Ray Cyrus and his ex-wife Tish Cyrus-Purcell, initially rose to fame as Miley Stewart and her pop alter-ego Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel series of the same name.
Following her graduation from the now-defunct kids programme, the 31-year-old has gone on to scoop two Grammy Awards, three MTV VMAs, and a handful of prestigious Spotify Plaques.
Despite having grown up in the public eye, there is seemingly a lot that fans still don’t know about the ‘Party in the USA’ hitmaker.
Surprisingly, one of these information tidbits is that Miley actually changed her name when she was 16.
A clip from a 2008 interview shows the Happy Hippie Foundation founder discussing her moniker change with Entertainment Tonight.
ET was backstage with the actress during one of her concerts, and asked her what she’d changed her legal name to, to which Miley replied: “Miley. What I’ve always been called, yeah.”
The star then made a vomiting gesture before revealing her true name was Destiny Hope Cyrus.
She joked: “Never again, it doesn’t technically legally count!”
Miley Cyrus legally changed her name when she was 16 (Entertainment Tonight)
The resurfaced clip and Miley’s confession continues to shock fans to this day, with one X user recently commenting: “Welp. At trivia, I learned that the mustang came out before the Camaro….and Miley Cyrus’s real name is Destiny. WTF.”
A second said: “You’re telling me Miley Cyrus real name is Destiny Hope and not Miley?!?!”
“Yeah Destiny Hope…Miley comes from the nickname Smiley she had as a kid. no idea why I know that,” commented someone else, while a fourth typed: “Miley Cyrus real name being Destiny still tickles me. She looks nothing like a Destiny.”
Another said: “Miley Cyrus’ real name is Destiny Hope and she’s also a Sagittarius and I wanna hug her someday.”
In the clip, Cyrus also revealed that her middle name was Ray ‘just like her dad’.
Turns out ‘Ray’ isn’t actually a tribute to the ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ favourite though.
The Hannah Montana actor is considered the youngest Disney Legend (X/@Disney)
Instead, it’s to honour her grandfather and late Democratic politician Ronald Ray Cyrus, who died in 2006, two years before his granddaughter’s official name change.
Earlier this summer, the former child star became the youngest person to be honoured with Disney Legend status at the company’s biennial fan convention, D23.
During her acceptance speech, the pop icon said: “I stand here still proud to have been Hannah Montana.
“This award is dedicated to Hannah and all of her amazing, loyal fans, and to everyone who has made my dream a reality.”
Featured Image Credit: Entertainment Tonight/YouTube
