When did Miley Cyrus change her name?

In case you didn’t know, singer-songwriter Miley Cyrus underwent a name change years ago.

At birth, the Hannah Montana star was given the name Destiny Hope Cyrus. This name symbolized her parents Billy Ray Cyrus and Leticia “Tish” Jean Cyrus’s firm belief that their daughter was destined for greatness and would bring success to her family. Her birth name was later replaced by the nickname “Smiley” due to her contagious smile as a toddler. Not too long after, Smiley became “Miley” and the rest is history.

Though the path to her renowned name is straightforward in itself, there is still a fair amount of curiosity as to why Miley Cyrus decided to change her name and when.

We tell you everything to know here.

When and why did Miley Cyrus change her name?

The Things reports The Last Song actress legally changed her name from Destiny Hope Cyrus to Miley Ray Cyrus in 2008 — to not only honor her childhood nickname but also to honor Ronald Ray Cyrus, her paternal grandfather who passed away in 2006.

Cyrus was extremely close to her late grandfather, so much so that she wrote her 2006 song “I Miss You” for Ronald Ray as a way to cope with the heartbreak. Still grieving his death, Miley Cyrus went on to take both his name and the name he gave his son, Billy Ray Cyrus, two years after Ronald Ray passed away.

10 years after changing her name, Miley Cyrus underwent one last name change. This time, it was to honor her now ex-husband, Liam Hemsworth. The two got married in December 2018 and, initially, seemed like a pair that would last forever. However, less than a year later, the couple decided to divorce.

“[The marriage] removed me from what no longer was serving its purpose. And then as you drown, you reach for that lifesaver and you want to save yourself,” Cyrus told Entertainment Tonight at the time. “I think that’s really what, ultimately, getting married was for me. One last attempt to save myself.”

Once the divorce was finalized, Cyrus dropped the “Hemsworth” from her last name and went back to being the Miley Cyrus we all know and love.