Why Millie Bobby Brown changed her name as real one may surprise you
It’s been almost a decade since Millie Bobby Brown first stepped out as Eleven in Netflix’s Stranger Things. Since then, she’s been named as one of the most influential people in the world, starred in seven feature films, and launched her own beauty and fashion brand.
The 21-year-old superstar has found time between carving out her career to marry Jake Bongiovi, 23, and welcome a daughter into their famous family via adoption.
The celebrity couple, who celebrated their first wedding anniversary last weekend (September 21), recently gushed about each other’s relationship on social media, with Millie typing: “1 year married. I love being your wife.”
In response, Jon Bon Jovi’s son typed: “One year in the books, many more to go. I love you so much my beautiful wife. Happy anniversary.”
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After she and Jake tied the knot, the Enola Holmes icon announced she’d be adding her husband’s surname to her own, making her Millie Bobby Brown Bongiovi.
But did you know that’s only her stage name?
Like Katy Perry, Emma Stone, and Reese Witherspoon, Millie uses a pseudonym while operating in the celebrity sphere.
Famous folk change their names for a whole host of reasons.
For example, David Tennant changed his name from McDonald because there was already someone of the same name represented by the actor’s union Equity.
Miley Cyrus was born Destiny Hope Cyrus, but legally changed their first name because of her childhood nickname ‘Smiley’.
In Millie’s case, it’s her middle name, ‘Bobby’, that is a farce.
While on the press tour for Netflix’s Electric State, she told Buzzfeed UK that her middle name was coined in honour of her father, estate agent Robert Brown.
It turns out Millie’s full name is actually Millie Bonnie Brown Bongiovi.
In the interview, she told her co-star Chris Pratt that she’d changed it to ‘Bobby’, for ‘sh**s and giggles’.
Social media had a field day when the now mother-of-one made the announcement back in March, with one Twitter user writing: “Imagine being famous enough to rebrand your own name just for fun.”
“Smart move because I would ignore Millie Bonnie Brown,” someone else remarked.
A third typed: “That’s hilarious! Millie Bobby Brown definitely knows how to keep things fun and unexpected. ‘Bobby’ has a nice ring to it, though—guess it worked out!”
Millie is set to return to the small screen later this year when the fifth and final chapter of Stranger Things airs via Netflix.
For the first time, the beloved science fiction show will debut in three volumes throughout November and December 2025.
Four episodes will drop on November 26, three on Christmas Day, and the final instalment on New Year’s Eve.
Speaking about her return, Millie claimed season five is her ‘favourite’ Stranger Things season to date, remarking it was the ‘best storytelling’ she’d ever been a part of.
Stranger Things seasons one to four are available to stream on Netflix now.
Topics: Celebrity, Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things, UK News, Netflix, TV And Film
Ella Scott