People Were Shocked to Learn the Real Names of Sisters Elle and Dakota Fanning

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I always thought I knew everything about Dakota and Elle Fanning, but I was surprised to learn that those aren’t actually the names their parents gave them! It’s funny how even with famous people, there are still little secrets and unexpected details that fans like me discover over time.

Sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning are both well-known actresses with long careers in Hollywood. Interestingly, they’ve always been publicly known by their middle names, rather than their first names. Dakota was actually born Hannah Dakota Fanning, while Elle’s birth name was Mary Elle Fanning.

Elle explained in a 2016 interview with Glamour that using middle names was a family tradition, not a result of her fame. She shared that her mother and sister also go by their middle names—her sister’s first name is Hannah. Elle believes it might be a Southern custom, as her mother’s practice influenced her and her sister to do the same.

Dakota always liked her name, but Elle had a trickier experience growing up. Teachers often used her official first name at school, which caused confusion. She remembers roll call being particularly awkward. “They’d call ‘Mary?’ and everyone would wonder who that was,” Elle explained. “I’d have to sheepishly raise my hand and say, ‘It’s me.’”

Dakota Fanning has previously discussed how she got her name. In a 2004 interview with People magazine, she explained that her father picked her middle name, Dakota, and it became the name everyone used. “My full name is Hannah Dakota Fanning,” she said, “but I’ve always gone by Dakota.”

Putting aside their different names, both sisters are successful in their careers and are now working together on a big new movie. They’ll be starring in “The Nightingale,” which is based on a popular book from 2015. The film is set in France during World War II and tells the story of two sisters struggling to survive under Nazi occupation. This will be the first time Dakota and Elle Fanning have played sisters in a movie.

Before they started filming, Elle and Dakota Johnson made a playful agreement to avoid their usual sibling behavior. In an interview with E! News on January 11th, Elle revealed that Dakota promised not to boss her around on set. Elle jokingly requested that Dakota treat her as a professional colleague. Dakota’s only ask was that Elle not be too annoying.

After several years of planning, Elle revealed to E! that she and her sister are producing the movie, The Nightingale. She said they’ve been working on it for a couple of years and are now finally in full production. The film is expected to hit theaters on February 12, 2027.

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2026-01-15 11:44