Another Pitt Son, Maddox, Legally Removes Father's Surname

Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt, the eldest son of Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, has officially received court approval to legally drop his father's last name. The ruling, issued by a judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court on Monday, September 14, means the 25-year-old's legal designation will now be Maddox Chivan Jolie, as confirmed by public court records.

Maddox had initiated this process by filing his request for the legal name change on May 28, 2026. He is the oldest among the six children shared by Jolie, 51, and Pitt, whose high-profile marriage ended in 2016. The former couple are also parents to Pax, 22, Zahara, 21, Shiloh, 20, and the 18-year-old twins, Knox and Vivienne.

This move by Maddox follows a growing trend among his siblings to distance themselves from their father's surname. In August 2024, Shiloh, who was born Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, successfully changed her legal name to Shiloh Jolie. Her petition to alter her surname was submitted on May 27, 2024, which notably coincided with her 18th birthday.

Vivienne has also publicly indicated her preference for using only her mother's name. In May 2024, the Playbill for “The Outsiders,” a Broadway musical where she assisted her mother in production, credited her as Vivienne Jolie instead of Vivienne Jolie-Pitt. Subsequently, in July, Vivienne filed her own petition to remove "Pitt" from her last name, citing "personal" reasons in the court documents. A hearing for her petition is currently scheduled for November 2, 2026.

Similarly, Zahara publicly dropped her father's last name during her college graduation ceremony on May 17, 2026. While the commencement program listed her as Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt as she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, her name was announced as "Zahara Marley Jolie" when she walked across the stage. Zahara officially filed to drop Pitt from her last name in June, just days after Maddox submitted his own filing. Her court hearing is set for September 28, 2026.