In the world of celebrity, a name change is often part of forging a star persona. But for the children of the famous, identity shifts can happen for more personal reasons. The latest to embrace a new public identity is Nicole Richie's daughter, Harlow Madden, who marked her 18th birthday this week by revealing she now goes by her middle name, Kate.
Harlow Madden's Transformation to Kate
Celebrating her daughter's milestone on Instagram, Nicole Richie shared a photo that put a dramatic new look firmly in the spotlight. The teenager, whose full name is Harlow Winter Kate Madden, has swapped her natural brunette locks for a striking jet-black shade, a style she has been sporting for several months. More significantly, she is now publicly using the name Kate, with her Instagram handle updated to @katemaddenn.
Richie and her husband, Joel Madden, commemorated the occasion with a nostalgic carousel of photos, captioned '18 years of you.' The former reality star, 44, shares Kate and her 16-year-old son Sparrow with Madden, 46. While the exact timeline of the name switch is unclear, her 18th birthday served as a definitive debut for 'Kate.'
A Trend Among Hollywood Offspring
Kate Madden is far from alone in undergoing a name change. Several other celebrity children have had their original monikers altered, often shortly after birth.
Perhaps the most publicised recent case involves Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott's son. The couple initially named their second child Wolf in February 2022. However, Jenner later revealed she never felt the name suited him, admitting she 'cried in the shower' over the decision. By March 2023, they had legally changed his name to Aire, meaning 'Lion of God.' Jenner cited postpartum emotions and a strong gut feeling for the switch.
In a more humorous twist, comedian Amy Schumer and her husband Chris Fischer realised they had accidentally named their son, born in May 2019, 'Genital.' The boy was originally called Gene Attell Fischer, with the middle name honouring friend Dave Attell. Upon the unfortunate realisation, they swiftly changed his middle name to David.
Other Notable Celebrity Name Changes
The phenomenon extends across Hollywood. Aaron Paul and Lauren Parsekian petitioned in 2022 to change their son's name from Casper Emerson to Ryden Caspian, stating they had to choose a name at the hospital but later changed their minds.
Elon Musk and Grimes famously adjusted their son's unique name due to California legal guidelines. Initially announced as X Æ A-12, his birth certificate was amended to first name 'X' and middle name 'A AE-XII' to comply with regulations.
Meanwhile, actress Kathryn Hahn and her husband Ethan Sandler legally altered their teenage children's names in 2022 to include her maiden name. Their son and daughter now have 'Hahn' as a second middle name.
Finally, Grey's Anatomy star Caterina Scorsone changed her daughter's name from Arwen to Lucinda, nicknamed Lucky, when she was four months old.
From aesthetic rebrands to avoiding unintended puns, the reasons behind these celebrity child name changes are as varied as the families themselves. It highlights the personal, and sometimes very public, journey of identity within the spotlight's glare.
