Olivia Wildethe ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ filmmaker, rarely talks about his real name and kept it a secret for a long time – and with good reason. The 42-year-old opened up about how her last name became the focus of funny conversations, recalling being teased since childhood. The actress revealed that her name remains strong, no matter how her life journey progresses.Here’s a closer look at Olivia Wilde setting the record straight about her name.
Olivia Wilde reveals 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. Emphasizing the correct pronunciation, the ‘House’ star said, “I’m going to tell you something — and there’s no way you’re going to know it — it’s pronounced ‘Coburn,'” during a podcast interview with the ‘Armchair Expert’ host Dax Shepardbefore adding, “Which I want you to imagine as a child, if you… Because it’s spelled, Cockburn.”Comparing the teased names, Olivia emphasizes that the situation is like the boy named ‘Sue,’ which adds 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 joked, continuing how he learned an important lesson early in his life.
Olivia Wilde remembers laughing with others for ‘Cockburn’
While he didn’t encounter any bullies because of his name, Wilde learned to laugh with others at his misery. “I don’t know. I thought it was funny too. I was like, ‘Oh, I get it. That’s funny,'” he said on the podcast. Even now, Olivia doesn’t know if it’s worse for her or her nine-year-old brother. When the host asked if people were still nicer to him a decade later, he stated that the last name, Cockburn, was always funny.“Actually, it’s a kind of consolation, too. It’s like any progress we get, if your last name is Cockburn, you take it [the chin],” he said, sharing another important life lesson he learned through his name.In the professional realm, Olivia Wilde’s directorial film, ‘The Invite,’ just hit theaters on June 26, 2026.