Why AJ McLean’s 9-Year-Old Daughter Changed Her Name to Elliott

AJ McLean and his wife Rochelle are making sure their daughter Elliott can be “whoever she wants to be,” even if it means changing her name. The Backstreet Boys artist, 44, and his wife opened up about their 9-year-old’s decision to change her name from Ava after sharing a photo of the fourth grader and her little sister, 5-year-old Lyric, on their first days of school.

Holding large balloons with their names and grades featured prominently, some of the family’s social media followers had questions when it came to why the McLeans’ older daughter had a balloon reading Elliott. Rochelle later took to her Instagram Story to address those questions. “For those asking … not that it’s anyone’s business but Elliott’s name change is not a gender thing,” Rochelle wrote.

The mother-of-two continued on that her daughter asked her parents to start calling her by the name Elliott last year after experimenting with a few other names. “She wanted something unique that no one else had (There are so many Ava’s),” Rochelle wrote. “I didn’t really see the harm in respecting her desire to be unique.”

She continued that it is a “little odd” that parents have to pick names for their children at birth and then “expect them to forever [identify] as that person.” Rochelle concluded, “Anyway … so that’s how Ava became Elliott. I knew once I put it out there people would have opinions, but be kind. She’s just a kid trying to make her way in this crazy world! I just want her to know she can always be whoever she wants to be.”

Regardless of what they want to be called, McLean and his wife couldn’t be more proud of their daughters as they return to school in person after almost three years being home-schooled amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “After two and a half years of homeschool, these two beauties are back to school!” the back-to-school photo’s caption reads. “Lyric is starting kindergarten and Elliot (Ava) is in fourth grade! I can’t believe it! I’m so proud of these girls. As much as I’m going to miss them, I’m excited to watch them spread their wings and fly!”