"She really do be a quirky girlie"— Internet reacts as Millie Bobby Brown opens up about changing her middle name for fun

Actress Millie Bobby Brown surprised her fans when she announced that Bobby was not her real middle name. During an interview with BuzzFeed UK on March 6, 2025, the Stranger Things star shared that her real middle name is Bonnie, but she changed it to Bobby "for s**ts and giggles" when she began her acting career.

"I've never told anyone that. You heard it here first!" Brown said.

The revelation left her The Electric State co-star Chris Pratt stunned, prompting him to respond, "Oh, s**t!"

The renaming of her middle name seems to honor Brown's father, who had the nickname Robert "Bobby" Brown. However, this is not the only name change she has embraced.

After tying the knot with her husband, Jake Bongiovi, in 2024, the actress chose to take his surname, Bongiovi, last August. She shared photos on an Instagram post on August 12, 2024, in which a blackboard featuring the new name of "Millie Bobby Brown Bongiovi" appeared in her behind-the-scenes photos for Stranger Things season 5. Fans quickly took to social media to react to Brown's admission.

"She really do be a quirky girlie," one X(formerly Twitter) user commented.

"Yeah, i'm not surprise a lot of us.Celebrities do this, and I think Bobby is cute," another user wrote.

"Bobby >> , Bonnie don't hit the same," a user remarked.

Fans found Millie Bobby Brown's name change amusing and fitting, with many praising her playful decision and joking about how "Bobby" sounds better than "Bonnie." Others admired her ability to rebrand herself just for fun.

"Imagine being famous enough to rebrand your own name just for fun," a user said.

"Lowkey a slay bc bonnie bobby brown is a tongue twister," a X user wrote.

"That's such a fun and unexpected reason for the change!" another user remarked.

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Millie Bobby Brown addresses public scrutiny

In addition to the discussion about her name, Millie Bobby Brown also addressed recent criticism regarding her physical transformation. After debuting blonde hair ahead of her 21st birthday in February, she faced public scrutiny regarding her new looks.

In response, Brown shared a Vogue article titled "No One Cares How Old You Think Millie Bobby Brown Looks" on her Instagram Stories. She then shared an Instagram video on March 4 to make a broader statement.

"I want to take a moment to address something that I think is bigger than just me, something that affects every young woman who grows up under public scrutiny," the post caption read.

It further read:

"I grew up in front of the world, and for some reason, people can't seem to grow with me. Instead, they act like I’m supposed to stay frozen in time, like I should still look the way I did on Stranger Things Season 1. And because I don't, I'm now a target. Disillusioned people can't handle seeing a girl become a woman on her terms, not theirs."

Further, Millie Bobby Brown will once again portray Eleven in Stranger Things Season 5. The upcoming Netflix season will serve as a definitive conclusion to the streaming series, as the actress has appeared in all seasons since 2016.

In addition to Stranger Things, Millie Bobby Brown will star in The Electric State, a sci-fi adventure film directed by Anthony and Joe Russo.

The movie, based on the graphic novel of the same name, features Brown in a lead role alongside Chris Pratt, Ke Huy Quan, Jason Alexander, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Brian Cox, and more. The Electric State will have its Netflix debut on March 14.