Many people know Miley Cyrus from Hannah Montana and from hit songs like “Flowers.” But “Miley” wasn’t the name on her birth certificate.

From “Destiny Hope” to a Household Name

Miley was born Destiny Hope Cyrus, the daughter of singer Billy Ray Cyrus and Tish Cyrus-Purcell. As a child, she smiled so often that her family started calling her “Smiley Miley.” Over time, the nickname stuck—and eventually became the name the public would recognize.

A Legal Change at 16

In 2008, when she was 16, she made it official and legally changed her name to Miley Cyrus. In a backstage interview that year, she explained that “Miley” was what she’d always been called, and she confirmed her original name was Destiny Hope Cyrus.

Why This Detail Still Gets Attention

Even though she grew up in the spotlight, plenty of fans are still surprised to learn this part of her background. It’s a reminder that many public “names” start as something simple: a family nickname that follows you into adulthood.

Miley’s name change wasn’t a sudden reinvention—it was the formal version of who she’d been called for years.