Suri Cruise’s name change, explained

Suri Cruise, the daughter of Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, apparently made a significant change to her identity. The 18-year-old reportedly dropped her father’s famous last name, “Cruise,” and now goes by “Suri Noelle.” Suri’s decision has shocked most people, and could either be an innocent first step at carving out her own path apart from her father’s legacy. However, it could also be a gesture to remain further estranged from her Oscar-winning father.

The graduation reveal

The news of the name change broke in June 2024, during Suri’s high school graduation. Suri’s name was allegedly listed alongside her classmates as “Suri Noelle.” (Her father wasn’t at the ceremony; at the exact time of Suri’s graduation, Tom Cruise was spotted by the media in attendance at Taylor Swift’s Eras tour.) The name “Noelle” also happens to be the middle name of Suri’s mother, Katie Holmes. Although less popular than her father’s, not choosing Holmes as her surname suggests that although Suri wants to remain connected to her mother’s side of the family, but she may be trying to make her own identity beyond the shadow of either of her famous parents. 

An A-list romance  

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes met in April 2005, and their whirlwind romance quickly captured the media’s attention. Who could forget Cruise’s ecstatic display on The Oprah Winfrey Show? Four months later, they tied the knot in Italy. Suri Cruise was born a few months later, in April 2006. Tom Cruise so overjoyed at his daughter’s birth. In fact, shortly after Suri’s birth, Cruise famously told the press: “I want to eat the placenta. I thought that would be good. Very nutritious. I’m gonna eat the cord and the placenta right there.” Cruise and Holmes’ marriage came to an end in 2012. 

A whirlwind divorce 

In June 2012, Katie Holmes filed for divorce from Tom Cruise while he was filming Oblivion in Iceland. Their highly publicized split resulted in Katie gaining sole custody of their daughter, Suri. Holmes meticulously planned her divorce from Tom Cruise. She reportedly remained in communication with him until the week before she served him papers, telling Cruise how much she loved him, and that everything was normal back home.

However, behind the scenes, her inner circle of family and friends orchestrated the separation. They switched out cell phones, making her unreachable, and she rented a new apartment in New York City. Her father, Martin Holmes, arrived to help her clean house, and shortly afterward, she filed for divorce anonymously in New York City. Cruise reportedly had no inkling of the impending divorce. The divorce settlement details remain confidential till this day.