How Many of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s Kids Have Changed Their Names?
Angelina Jolie is planning a big move abroad now that her youngest children are turning 18. The big move isn’t about the kids. Not really, at least. Rather, it’s about the fact that it means she no longer needs to factor her ex, Brad Pitt, into where she and her children live. While Jolie appears to have been tied to California due to custody agreements, most of her and Brad Pitt’s shared kids are estranged from him. In fact, several have opted to drop Pitt from their names. These are the kids who have publicly opted to go by “Jolie” instead of “Jolie-Pitt.”
The kids who aren’t using Brad Pitt’s name any longer
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s marriage unraveled publicly in 2016. A harrowing flight, a mid-air fight, and the involvement of the FBI led to Jolie filing for divorce days later. Their divorce dragged out, and the public was never under the illusion that the split was an amicable one. Pitt’s complete estrangement from his children was a bit more private, at least until now. As the kids Pitt and Jolie share have aged into adulthood, their chosen surnames make it clear that they are keeping their distance from their father.
Shiloh Pitt was the first in the family to make a very public choice to drop the Pitt surname. Shiloh, upon turning 18, filed paperwork to change their name from Shiloh Jolie-Pitt to Shiloh Jolie. The dancer made a name for themselves on YouTube during the pandemic and has since appeared in international videos. They are going by Jolie both personally and professionally, it seems.
Pitt and Jolie’s daughter Zahara made the decision to go by the surname Jolie in 2024, too. Zahara debuted the new moniker during her graduation from Spelman College, walking the stage and accepting her degree as Zahara Marley Jolie.
Pitt and Jolie’s youngest daughter, Vivienne, has also opted to move forward professionally as Vivienne Jolie. While she is not yet 18, the youngest member of the family did appear in the playbill for The Outsiders as Vivienne Jolie. It is unclear if she has legally changed her name yet, but if she hasn’t, we can assume it is coming and coming soon.
Maddox Jolie debuted his new name in an acting credit, too. Maddox is working under the name Maddox Jolie instead of Maddox Jolie-Pitt as of February 2026. Jolie adopted Maddox as a single parent back in 2002, and Pitt legally adopted him several years later, adding Pitt to his surname.
The couple’s other two children, Pax and Knox, do not appear to have legally changed their names, nor do they have a professional credit that would be publicly announced, though neither appears to see their father often. Knox, Vivienne’s twin, turns 18 in July.
The Marriage and Divorce That Defined a Decade
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie met on the set of Mr. and Mrs. Smith in 2004. The couple avoided marriage for a decade before tying the knot in France in August 2014. Their relationship had been tabloid fodder from the start. After all, Pitt was married to Jennifer Aniston when he and Jolie reportedly fell for each other on set. The split of America’s couple was scandalous. Despite that Pitt and Jolie moved on, even with intense media scrutiny. The focus was always on their dynamic, though everything seemed fine between them publicly.
While there was no public indication that anything was amiss, Jolie filed for divorce in 2016 after a heated altercation on a private flight back to Los Angeles. The divorce was anything but quick and neat, and was not finalized until December 2024, with the former flames arguing over everything from child custody to a winery they owned in France.
Angelina Jolie’s Planned Move
With the divorce finalized and the clock ticking toward a long-planned fresh start, Angelina Jolie is preparing to leave the United States. It looks like her youngest children will be going with her. The actress has been waiting for twins Knox and Vivienne to turn 18 in July before making a long-considered move abroad.
Jolie revealed back in 2024 that she was only in California because she had to be. She told The Hollywood Reporter, “I am here because I have to be here from a divorce.” The upcoming birthday cuts her final legal tie to Brad Pitt; she seems happy about it, and based on the name changes, so do the kids.
