The Touching Story Behind How Beyoncé Got Her Name - TheThings

You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in the English-speaking world who’s never heard of Beyoncé. Thanks to her success as a global superstar, this is now a household name of legendary status. Though millions of fans have chanted this name at concerts and gushed about it to friends, most don’t actually know the real story behind it. And as it turns out, the way that Beyoncé got her name is pretty touching. It even weirdly symbolizes the power that Beyoncé has come to possess through her influence as a superstar.

All of Beyoncé’s names are famous, from her alter ego Sasha Fierce to her full married name: Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter. But it’s time fans learned the real story behind one of the most famous names on the planet . Keep reading to find out how Beyoncé got her name (and why that name was chosen for her).

RELATED: What's Beyoncé's Relationship Like With Her Father Matthew Knowles?

A Family Name

Though 'Beyoncé' is now a household name renowned around the planet, it began as a family name. Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles-Lawson, was actually born Celestine Beyoncé. The name is a reflection of her Creole roots and also of the special bond between Beyoncé and her mom.

Roland Beyincé, Tina’s brother and Beyoncé’s uncle, told the story of how Beyoncé got her name when he attended the 2013 premiere of his niece’s documentary Life is But a Dream. “My sister Tina didn't think we had enough boys in the family to keep the name going, so she gave Beyoncé our last name as the first name,” he said (via Insider).

This is one of the most interesting facts about Beyoncé. It just goes to show that you don’t need boys to carry on the name; girls can do it too!

The Different Spellings

Tina Knowles-Lawson was born Celestine Beyoncé, but her siblings didn’t always share that name. In fact, the family all had different spellings of ‘Beyoncé’ on their birth certificate, which makes things a little confusing. That’s why Bey’s uncle, Roland Beyincé, has a slight variation in the spelling of his last name.

The birth certificate situation affecting the name ‘Beyoncé’ was actually racist in nature, as the real reason that there was such carelessness with the spelling was because society at the time believed that Black people should just “be happy that you’re getting a birth certificate.”

Knowles-Lawson opened up about the spelling mishap, explaining that her family was denied proper birth certificates on purpose. "So I said, 'Well, why didn’t you argue and make them correct it?'" Knowles-Lawson said. "And [her mother] 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."

According to Knowles-Lawson, the lack of a proper birth certificate sent a specific message. “They didn't even have a birth certificate, because it meant that you really didn't exist," she said (via USA Today). "You weren't important. It was that subliminal message.”

RELATED: What Have Beyoncé And Jay-Z Been Up To The Past Year?

Her Middle Name

So Beyoncé got her first name because it was her mother’s maiden name and there weren’t enough boys in the family to carry it on. But what about her middle name? The superstar’s birth certificate reads Beyoncé Giselle Knowles.

According to Z.B. Hill’s book Beyoncé, the name Giselle was chosen by Beyoncé’s father Matthew, while Tina chose her first name. There’s been no confirmation as to how Matthew Knowles came to that middle name for his daughter, but it definitely has a ring to it!

Tina Knowles-Lawson’s Background

Beyoncé’s mother was born in Galveston, Texas, the youngest daughter of seven siblings. Her mother was a seamstress called Agnes Dereon, which went on to influence the name of Knowles-Lawson’s future clothing line with her daughter, House of Dereon.

Though Knowles-Lawson was born in Texas, the family trace their heritage to Louisiana. Beyoncé has displayed her Creole roots proudly before, most notably through the 2006 song ‘Creole’. She also references it in her 2016 hit ‘Formation’, where she refers to her momma being ‘Louisiana’.

RELATED: Beyoncé's Mom Shares Another Secret To B's Success

Solange’s Name

Beyoncé’s younger sister Solange also has a rare and memorable name, though it’s not quite as unique as ‘Beyoncé’. Solange is a French name—perhaps a reflection of the family’s Creole roots—that is derived from the medieval Roman name Sollemnia, which means religious. This can also be traced back to the Latin word ‘sollemnis’ which means ‘solemn’.

The Knowles family have yet to reveal what inspired the choice of Solange’s name. Her middle name is Piaget.

Beyonce’s Baby Names

Beyoncé herself has followed in her parents’ footsteps by choosing meaningful and creative names for her own children. Her first daughter, Blue Ivy, is thought to be named after Beyoncé’s favorite color Blue. The ‘Ivy’ part may be an interpretation of the Roman numeral IV, which stands for four, a significant number to Beyoncé and her husband Jay-Z. Beyoncé’s fourth studio album was also called ‘4’.

The Carter twins are called Sir and Rumi. When revealing the meanings behind his twins’ names, Jay-Z explained that Sir simply carried himself like a sir, while Rumi is named for the couple’s favorite poet.

NEXT:Here's Why Beyoncé's Delivery Of Twins Rumi And Sir Was So Traumatic