Celebrity2 min(s) read
Published 12:37 02 Apr 2026 GMT
Miley Cyrus fans are only just finding out her real name
She's one of the most famous pop stars in the world - but fans of Miley Cyrus are only learning that her stage name is just that - a stage name.
Or, at least, it used to be.
Now 33, Cyrus rose to fame on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana, and parlayed that early fame into a career as one of the most talked-about popstars of her generation, endearing herself to a legion of fans with hits like Party in the USA, Wrecking Ball and Flowers.
But Miley Cyrus wasn't always Miley Cyrus.
What is Miley Cyrus' real name?
The daughter of Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus, Miley was originally named Destiny Hope Cyrus at birth.
However, when she started to transition into a steady entertainment career, Cyrus decided to adopt a familial nickname as her professional moniker.
As her mom, Tish, described on Tea Time with Raven & Miranda podcast, Miley has its origins in a nickname given to her by her dad.
"Billy Ray came up with [Miley]," Tish revealed.
"She always smiled when she was little, so we called her Smiley Miley, and it just stuck."
After scoring the role of Hannah Montana, Cyrus legally changed her name from Destiny Hope to Miley Ray Cyrus.
However, some of her first film and TV credits in the early 2000s were attributed to her original name, including a bit part in the Tim Burton surrealist drama Big Fish and a recurring appearance in her father's 2001 sitcom Doc.
What is Miley Cyrus up to now?
Following her breakout role in Hannah Montana, Cyrus continued to act and sing, putting a lot of focus into her musical endeavours.
Her much-discussed image change in 2013 to accompany her chaotic album Bangerz was the source of much publicity, though her music has never approached that level of controversy since.
2017's Younger Now was a more mature, country-inspired record, 2021's Plastic Hearts an exploration of pop-rock and 2023's Younger Now a soft-rock-focused pop LP, the latter two records heavily influenced by the emotional fallout of her divorce from Liam Hemsworth in 2019.
Cyrus' most recent album was her most ambitious yet; 2025's Something Beautiful was a quasi-psychedelic pop album, inspired by the work of Pink Floyd and Madonna.
Though it didn't have a worldwide hit to rival her biggest success, 2023's Flowers.
Recently, Cyrus has also leaned into the nostalgia of her past, celebrating the 20th anniversary of Hannah Montana with a special for Disney+, where she sat down for a career-led interview with Call Her Daddy's Alex Cooper