Maddox Chivan Jolie Legally Drops Pitt Surname as Judge Approves Name Change
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s eldest son, Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt, has officially dropped “Pitt” from his legal surname.
A Los Angeles judge approved Maddox’s name-change petition on Monday, September 14, 2026, changing his legal name to Maddox Chivan Jolie. Court documents cited by multiple outlets said there were no objections to the request.
The decision marks the latest development in a long-running family story that has drawn renewed attention this week, exactly 10 years after Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt following the highly publicized 2016 private-plane incident.
Maddox Had Already Been Using the Jolie Name
The court ruling did not come out of nowhere.
Maddox filed his legal petition earlier in 2026, asking to remove “Pitt” from his full name. He cited personal reasons for the request but did not publicly provide a detailed explanation.
Before the legal change was approved, Maddox had already begun using Maddox Jolie professionally.
He was credited under that name for his work as an assistant director on Angelina Jolie’s film Couture. The name also appeared in production materials connected to the movie.
That made the September 14 court decision the formal completion of a change that had already become visible publicly.
Why Maddox’s Name Change Is Trending Now
The story is attracting attention for more than the name change itself.
Maddox’s court victory arrives as the Jolie-Pitt family continues to undergo significant changes following the couple’s separation in 2016 and the eventual finalization of their divorce in December 2024.
Several of the former couple’s children have also moved away from using the Pitt surname, either through legal filings or public and professional use of Jolie.
That makes Maddox’s ruling part of a broader pattern that has become increasingly visible in 2026.
However, it is important not to assume that the siblings’ individual decisions were made for the same reason. Maddox’s own filing described his reason simply as personal.
Shiloh Already Legally Changed Her Name
Maddox is not the first of Jolie and Pitt’s children to legally remove “Pitt.”
His younger sister Shiloh Jolie completed her legal name change in August 2024, shortly after turning 18. She became the first of the siblings to formally complete the process.
Other siblings have since taken steps involving the family surname as well.
Zahara Jolie has begun her own legal name-change process, with a hearing scheduled for September 28, 2026. Vivienne Marcheline Jolie has also filed paperwork seeking to change her legal name, with her hearing scheduled for November 2.
Knox has also been publicly identified as Knox Jolie in some recent contexts, although that should not be confused with a completed legal name change.
What Maddox’s New Legal Name Is
Following the September 14 ruling, Maddox’s legal name is:
Maddox Chivan Jolie
“Pitt” has been removed from the surname.
The change is significant because Maddox is the eldest of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s six children and had previously carried the hyphenated Jolie-Pitt surname.
Maddox was adopted by Jolie from Cambodia in 2002 and later adopted by Pitt, after which the Pitt surname was added to his name.
What This Does — and Does Not — Mean
The court ruling establishes Maddox’s legal name change. It does not, by itself, establish why he made the decision or prove a particular dispute between Maddox and his father.
Reports have described longstanding tensions between Pitt and some of his children, while people close to the two sides have offered competing accounts of the family’s dynamics. Those claims should be treated separately from the confirmed court action.
What is confirmed is straightforward: Maddox requested the change, the petition cited personal reasons, and a Los Angeles judge approved it on September 14, 2026, without objections
