Miley Cyrus' Fans Just Discovered Her Birth Name in Resurfaced Clip — And It's Not What They Expected

Fans of Miley Cyrus are stunned as they discover that the name the pop star uses today isn’t her original one. Born as Destiny Hope Cyrus, Miley legally changed her name in 2008 when she was just 15 years old. In a resurfaced clip from her Entertainment Tonight interview, the host can be seen asking, "You have officially, legally changed your name, to what?" The Hannah Montana star responds, "Miley...what I have always been called, yeah."

The Grammy winner made a playful vomiting gesture when referring to her original name and joked, “Never again, it doesn’t technically legally count!” Miley's nickname evolved from childhood when her cheerful personality earned her the name 'Smiley' from her family. Over time, 'Smiley' was shortened to Miley, which became the name she identified with the most. To honor her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, she opted for 'Ray' as her middle name when filing the paperwork for her name change.

On a 2024 episode of Netflix’s My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, Miley discussed the story behind her original name. During the conversation, Letterman asked, "Let me ask you, Destiny Hope Cyrus. What was going on there?" The Wrecking Ball singer stated, "It [was] a big shoe to fill." Miley explained that her parents, Tish and Billy, selected the name Destiny Hope because they believed it reflected her fate—to bring hope to the world. In response, Letterman commented, "That's lovely but a lot to load on a kid." Miley agreed, adding, "It is lovely. It is a lot, but I do think that from the beginning it set an intention, which we don't always have."

The revelation sparked surprise, with fans quickly sharing their shock on social media. “I never even knew her real name was Destiny Hope,” penned. Another chimed, “I thought it was Hannah Montana.” In a similar vein, a comment read, “Damn, she has got a lot of names—Destiny, Miley, Hannah.” "Why am I just finding this out," wrote another. A viewer echoed, "WHAT...I NEVER KNEW HER FIRST NAME IS NOT MILEY."

While speaking to Us Weekly in June 2020, Billy said his daughter's birth name captured her 'special' essence. "She is a giver. She believes that we are all put here for a reason, and that is to give back to our fellow man,” said the Achy Breaky Heart singer. "That is why we named her Destiny Hope. Destiny Hope Cyrus is her name — at least it used to be...But no matter what you call her, she still is Destiny Hope,” the country star continued. “She is a ray of sunshine. She is a special human being. She has got a great heart.”