Tina Knowles Revealed The Origin Of Beyoncé's Name & My Mind Is Blown

You know a celebrity has really made it big when they become mononymous. Cher, Madonna, Adele, and Zendaya are just some of the stars that immediately come to mind who use one name. The fact they don't need a last name for folks to know exactly who you're talking perfectly captures their impact on pop culture. Beyoncé is the prime example really, and if you've ever wondered where her name comes from, today you have your answer. Surprisingly, the origin of Beyoncé's name is connected to her mom, Tina Knowles.

On Sept. 15, Knowles guest-starred on an episode of the In My Head with Heather Thomson podcast. During the show, Knowles discussed the importance of passing the Heroes Act, proposed legislation acting as a stimulus package in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, giving back, and her family's history. Naturally, the conversation led to the topic of Knowles' world-famous children, Beyoncé and Solange. That's when Knowles revealed something huge: Beyoncé is her maiden name, and that's why she was inspired to give it to her daughter. "A lot of people don’t know that Beyoncé is my last name," she said.

If you're as shocked at this bit of info as I am, wait until you hear what Knowles said next. "My name was Celestine Beyoncé, which at that time, was not a cool thing to have that weird name. I wanted my name to be Linda Smith because those were the cool names," Knowles explained, adding that not everyone in her family spells it the same way. "I think me and my brother Skip were the only two that had B-E-Y-O-N-C-E."

Meanwhile, her other brother spells it as "Beyince." Knowles once questioned her mother about it, and she said it was what the doctors put on his birth certificate. Her mother tried to have it changed, but couldn't succeed. "She said, 'I did one time, the first time, and I was told be happy that you’re getting a birth certificate. Because at one time black people didn’t get birth certificates," Knowles said about her mother.

Knowles said that many fans are familiar with Beyoncé's cousin, Angie Beyince, but they never really drew the connections between their similar names.

Listen to Knowles explain the whole thing below.

Honestly, I am totally mind blown. I guess it's true that you really do learn something new every day.