Globally recognized singer, actress, and media personality Miley Cyrus needs no introduction to the original pop music lovers from the early 2000s and Hannah Montana fans!
From the iconic double role, both as Miley Stewart and Hannah Montana, which defined a generation of people being obsessed with the series, which ran on the infamous Disney Channel from 2006 to 2011.
Back in 2009, the show became a cult with youngsters buying exclusive stationery items and honoring Hannah’s street style persona, consisting of ripped jeans, black nail paint, and the long blond OG hair style with the cutest bangs and hair colors.
Under her evergreen TV alter ego, the singer’s stellar discography has earned her multiple Grammy Awards, MTV VMAs and a run of chart-topping hits such as “We Can’t Stop”, “Wrecking Ball” and “Flowers.”
Today is @MileyCyrus‘s 28th birthday! Back in 2006, she spoke with us about going from Nashville to the set of #HannahMontana, and looking up to Hilary Duff as her role model in the industry. Now, she’s a heavy hitter of her own! ❤️ #HappyBirthdayMiley pic.twitter.com/Rv11Dn4MAv
— MTV NEWS (@MTVNEWS) November 23, 2020
Miley Cyrus charted 20 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 as Hannah Montana.“He Could Be the One” became the biggest hit, reaching the top 10 in 2009. While the dual role of a fictional pop star and an average teenager was only for the show, reports suggest that even in reality, the singer was initially born with a completely different name.
As per Tyla, Miley’s mother, Tish Cyrus, previously revealed that her daughter was named Destiny Hope Cyrus at birth, before legally changing it in 2008. Speaking on the Tea Time with Raven & Miranda podcast, Tish explained that the nickname “Miley” came from her daughter’s cheerful personality as a child.
Name at Birth
Miley Cyrus: Destiny Hope Cyrus pic.twitter.com/xqcCLAAV0t
— DrPopCulture (@DrPopCultureUSA) March 6, 2024
Her country singer dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, would often call her “Smiley Miley,” as she was a happy kid who smiled a lot. As per Tyla, fans who had no clue about well well-kept secret were shocked to learn that the pop star’s former name was Destiny.
Fans flooded X(formerly Twitter) with comments like “I was today years old when I found out Miley Cyrus’s real name used to be Destiny Hope Cyrus before she legally changed it in 2008.”
Another added, “Fun fact, Miley’s real name was Destiny Hope Cyrus, she legally changed it tho.”A third wrote in sheer shock, “MILEY CYRUS REAL NAME IS DESTINY????”
Just found out miley Cyrus name is not her birth name
— track 8 is dhl 2.0 (@franksdior) March 6, 2024
Furthermore, in 2024, Miley Cyrus graced the couch on Netflix’s “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman.” She addressed the lesser-known context behind why her parents, Tish and Billy, changed her name from Destiny Hope Cyrus to Miley Cyrus.
During the interview, Letterman asked her directly about the origin of her birth name. She laughed and joked that it was “a big shoe to fill” before explaining that her parents, Tish Cyrus and country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, chose the name because they believed she was meant to bring positivity into the world.
“My parents thought it was my destiny to bring hope to the world,” the Grammy winner added. Letterman described the meaning as beautiful but admitted it was a lot to place on a child, something the singer agreed with. She further added that while living up to the name was a lot of pressure, it also set a meaningful intention from the very beginning.
Destiny Hope Cyrus was her birth name but She legally changed it to Miley Ray Cyrus in 2008
— Something Beautiful (@MidnighttMiley) July 10, 2025
Similarly, her dad, Billy, also spoke about the former name Destiny in a 2020 interview and asserted that it reflected character. He described Miley as someone who gives back, believes everyone has a purpose, and genuinely cares about others.
“She’s a giver. She believes that we’re all put here for a reason, and that’s to give back to our fellow man,” he added. In March 2008, when she was 15, she officially requested to change her name at the Los Angeles Superior Court her name to Miley Ray Cyrus. The change was approved a few months later, in May 2008.
Miley and her father, Billy, went through a rough patch in their relationship after he and her mother, Tish, divorced. Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus were married for more than 30 years before finalizing their divorce in April 2022, after reportedly living separately for two years.
Together, they share five children: Miley, Noah, Braison, Trace and Brandi. Billy also has a 32-year-old son, Christopher, from a previous relationship with Kristin Luckey.
These massive changes in the family dynamics stemming from the public divorce, emotional challenges after she achieved stardom and difficulty in understanding each other’s mindsets with age led to the strained relationship.
