The break is now official. At 20, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' only daughter has officially dropped her father's surname. Born Suri Cruise, the young woman now goes by the name Suri Noelle. This change was confirmed by her registration on the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, voter rolls. When she registered to vote in October 2024, during her freshman year of college, her legal identity was already listed as "Suri Noelle."
She chose her mother's middle name
Suri did not adopt the Holmes name. She chose "Noelle," which is Katie Holmes' middle name. In doing so, she erases her father's world-famous surname while maintaining a direct link to her mother, with whom she grew up after her parents' divorce. The young woman has not offered any public explanation for this change. Therefore, there is no evidence to suggest that she wanted to escape the paparazzi or make herself more difficult to identify. However, her choice does allow her to no longer be immediately associated with one of Hollywood's biggest stars.
A first noticeable change as early as 2024
Suri had begun using this new name several months before registering to vote. In June 2024, at her New York high school graduation ceremony, she was already introduced as Suri Noelle. The name "Cruise" did not appear in the event's program. She had also used this name for her theater activities in high school. At that time, it was still unclear whether it was simply a name she used or a legally binding change. Her voter registration now confirms that the change is official. Tom Cruise did not attend his daughter's graduation. That same weekend, the actor was photographed in London at a Taylor Swift concert at Wembley Stadium. Katie Holmes, however, was there with Suri to celebrate the end of her schooling.
A life built alongside Katie Holmes
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes welcomed Suri in April 2006, seven months before their wedding. The couple separated in 2012, when their daughter was six years old. After the divorce, Suri lived primarily in New York with her mother and grew up largely removed from her father's daily life. Katie Holmes has always tried to shield her daughter from the media attention associated with her parents' celebrity. Suri has remained relatively private, despite the photographers regularly surrounding her in New York. She did not pursue a public career during her childhood and has not given any interviews about her relationship with Tom Cruise. After graduating from high school, she attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where she studied theater and musical theater. She also continues to perform on stage under her new name. Katie Holmes expressed her pride when her daughter left for university: "I'm proud of my daughter. I'm really proud of her and I'm happy." The actress also explained that she saw this period as one of first personal choices and self-discovery.
No comment from Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise has not publicly reacted to his daughter's decision to drop his name. Suri, for her part, has never publicly discussed the exact nature of their relationship. However, in December 2024, Katie Holmes had to deny reports claiming that Suri had access to a financial fund established by her father after she turned 18. The actress called this claim completely false and demanded that the fabricated information about her daughter cease.
Brad Pitt faces the same rejection of his name by several of his children
Tom Cruise's situation is indeed reminiscent of Brad Pitt's. Of the six children the actor shares with Angelina Jolie, four have filed to remove "Pitt" from their surnames: Maddox, Zahara, Shiloh, and Vivienne. Shiloh filed her request on her 18th birthday in May 2024. The California court approved her change a few months later. She officially goes by the name Shiloh Nouvel Jolie, without any reference to her father. Maddox is now asking to become Maddox Chivan Jolie, while Zahara wishes to officially take the name Zahara Marley Jolie. Their requests are scheduled to be reviewed in September 2026. Vivienne, who already used "Vivienne Jolie" in the musical's program, is also considering changing her name. The OutsidersSuri filed her own petition after turning 18. Her hearing is scheduled for November 2, 2026. The difference lies in the chosen name. Brad Pitt's children dropped their father's surname, keeping only Angelina Jolie's. Suri, however, did not adopt "Cruise" or "Holmes": she changed her mother's middle name into her surname. In both families, the decision was made or initiated once the children reached adulthood, without any direct public comment from the fathers involved.
