Vivienne becomes the fourth Jolie-Pitt child to file to drop 'Pitt' from her name

Another of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's children has moved to drop their father's surname. Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, who turned 18 on July 12, has filed a petition to legally become Vivienne Marcheline Jolie, listing "personal" reasons in the court paperwork. She is the fourth of the couple's six children to take the formal legal step.

This piece sticks to the court record and on-the-record reporting — what has been filed and what has been granted — and marks what is still pending.

What Vivienne filed

According to People, which first reported the filing, Vivienne's petition asks the court to change her legal name to Vivienne Marcheline Jolie — adopting Marcheline, the first name of Jolie's late mother, Marcheline Bertrand, as a middle name. The stated basis is simply "personal." A hearing is scheduled for November 2, 2026; barring an objection, uncontested name-change petitions like this are typically granted without a fight.

She's the fourth of six

Vivienne joins a pattern that has unfolded over two years:

• Shiloh was first. Days after turning 18 in May 2024, she filed to drop "Pitt," and a judge granted the change in August 2024. She is now legally Shiloh Nouvel Jolie — the only one of the six whose change is complete.
• Maddox filed in 2026 to become Maddox Chivan Jolie, citing personal reasons, with a ruling expected in mid-September. He had already dropped "Pitt" from his credits on his mother's film Couture.
• Zahara filed to become Zahara Marley Jolie, publishing the required legal notices in June, with a court review set for late September.

The couple's other children are Pax, Knox and Vivienne. Knox, Vivienne's twin, also turned 18 on July 12; he has not filed a formal petition.

The Name-Change Saga, Step by Step

Jolie-Pitt name changes and divorce: a dated timeline

Every dated step in the Jolie-Pitt name-change and divorce saga — from the 2016 divorce filing to Vivienne's 2026 petition — with the status of each.

Allconfirmedexpected

1. September 2016

   Jolie files for divorce

   Angelina Jolie files to end the marriage, days after a September 2016 incident aboard a private plane. The FBI and Los Angeles child-welfare officials later investigate allegations of abuse; no charges are filed against Brad Pitt.

   Source ↗

2. April 2019

   Declared legally single

   A judge grants a bifurcated judgment restoring both to single status, but marital and property issues remain unresolved for years afterward.

   Source ↗

3. May 2024

   Shiloh files to drop 'Pitt'

   Days after turning 18, Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt files a petition to remove 'Pitt' from her name, becoming the first child to take the formal legal step.

   Source ↗

4. August 19, 2024

   Shiloh's name change granted

   A judge grants the petition. Shiloh is now legally Shiloh Nouvel Jolie — the only one of the six children whose change is complete.

   Source ↗

5. December 30, 2024

   Divorce finalized

   Jolie and Pitt sign a settlement finalizing the divorce after more than eight years. A separate lawsuit over their French winery, Château Miraval, remains in litigation.

   Source ↗

6. May 2026

   Maddox files a petition

   Maddox files to legally become Maddox Chivan Jolie, citing 'personal' reasons. A ruling is expected in mid-September 2026. He had already dropped 'Pitt' from his credits on his mother's film Couture.

   Source ↗

7. June 2026

   Zahara files a petition

   Zahara files to become Zahara Marley Jolie, publishing the required notices in June. A judge is set to review the request on September 28, 2026.

   Source ↗

8. July 12, 2026

   Vivienne (and Knox) turn 18

   The twins reach adulthood. Knox has been reported using 'Knox Jolie' informally but has not filed a formal petition.

   Source ↗

9. July 2026

   Vivienne files a petition

   Vivienne files to become Vivienne Marcheline Jolie, listing 'personal' reasons — the fourth of the six children to move to drop 'Pitt.'

   Source ↗

10. November 2, 2026· expected

    Vivienne's hearing (scheduled)

    The court date set for Vivienne's petition. Barring an objection, name-change petitions like these are typically granted without a contested hearing.

    Source ↗

How this is calculated

A chronological record compiled from court filings reported by People, CNN, NBC News, ABC/Good Morning America, The Hollywood Reporter and Fox News. Dates not made public to the day are labeled by month. Completed steps (granted changes, the finalized divorce) are marked confirmed; the upcoming November 2 hearing is a scheduled future court date, marked expected.

Data as of July 21, 2026 · verified July 21, 2026 · v1

Assumptions, limitations & sources

Assumptions

• · Petition filing dates reflect the month reported by outlets citing the court records; not every exact filing day is public.

Limitations

• · Three petitions (Maddox, Zahara, Vivienne) are pending, not granted; hearing dates can move or be resolved without a contested hearing.
• · The children have not publicly explained their reasons beyond the 'personal' basis listed in the filings.

Sources

• People (via AOL) — Vivienne files petition to drop 'Pitt' (Exclusive) — People, checked July 21, 2026
• Parade — Vivienne's petition, 'personal' reason and November 2 hearing — Parade, checked July 21, 2026
• CNN — Zahara and Maddox move to drop Pitt's surname — CNN, checked July 21, 2026
• Good Morning America — Shiloh granted name change — Good Morning America, checked July 21, 2026
• NBC News — Shiloh files petition to drop 'Pitt' — NBC News, checked July 21, 2026
• Fox News — Pitt on the 8-year divorce; timeline of filing and finalization — Fox News, checked July 21, 2026

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The backdrop: an eight-year divorce

The name changes sit against the couple's long separation. Jolie filed for divorce in September 2016. The two were declared legally single in 2019, but financial and property matters dragged on, and the divorce was only finalized in December 2024 — more than eight years after the initial filing. A separate lawsuit over their French winery, Château Miraval, remains in litigation.

During the 2016 proceedings, the FBI and Los Angeles child-welfare officials reviewed allegations of a family incident; no charges were filed against Brad Pitt. We note that only because it is part of the public record behind the divorce, not as an explanation for the children's choices — the children have not publicly explained their reasons beyond the "personal" basis in the filings.

Why it matters, and what's next

Individually, a name change is a private legal formality. Together, four of six children moving to drop a shared surname is a notable, and unusually public, family story. What is confirmed is narrow: Vivienne has filed, three siblings have filed or completed changes before her, and a hearing is set for November 2. We will update this story when the court rules — and only then. The timeline above tracks every dated step.