Olivia Wilde, the ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ filmmaker, rarely addressed her real name and kept it under wraps for a long time – and there is a reason. The 42-year-old opened up about how her last name became the centre of chucklesome conversations, recalling being made fun of since her childhood. The actress expressed that her name keeps her grounded, no matter how evolved her life journey becomes.Here’s a closer look at Olivia Wilde setting the record straight about her name.
Olivia Wilde reveals the pronunciation of ‘Cockburn’
The American celebrity’s real name is Olivia Jane Cockburn, and she changed her last name to ‘Wilde’ for show business as a tribute to the Irish author, Oscar Wilde. Emphasising the correct pronunciation, the ‘House’ star stated, “I’ll tell you something — and there’s no way you would know this — it’s pronounced ‘Coburn,’” during the podcast interview with ‘Armchair Expert’ host Dax Shepard, before adding, “Which I want you to imagine being a kid, when you’re… Because it’s spelt, Cockburn.”Comparing the ridiculed names, Olivia emphasised that the situation is like the boy being named ‘Sue,’ adding a personality to the character. “I think it’s important. We should all give our kids devastating middle names just so that you can grow up with like something to be totally bullied for,” the ‘Booksmart’ director jested, continuing how she learned an important lesson early on in her life.
Olivia Wilde recalls laughing with others for ‘Cockburn’
While she did not encounter any bullies because of her name, Wilde learned to laugh along with others at her misery. “I don’t know. I thought it was funny too. I was like, ‘Oh, I get it. That’s funny,’” she stated in the podcast. Even today, Olivia doesn’t know whether it was worse for her or her nine-year-younger brother. When the host questioned whether people would have been kinder to him a decade later, she expressed that the surname, Cockburn, will always get laughs.“In fact, it’s kind of comforting, too. It’s like no matter how evolved we get, if your last name is Cockburn, you’re going to take it on [the chin],” she said, sharing another significant life lesson she learned through her name.In the professional realm, Olivia Wilde’s directorial film, ‘The Invite,’ recently hit theatres on June 26, 2026.