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

Most people know them as Dakota Fanning and Elle Fanning, but those famous names are not actually the actresses’ first names. The truth behind their real names has surprised many fans over the years.

Dakota and Elle are sisters who grew up in the spotlight and built long careers in Hollywood. However, according to past interviews, both actresses have always gone by their middle names, not the names listed first on their birth certificates. Dakota was born Hannah Dakota Fanning, and Elle was born Mary Elle Fanning.

Elle explained this in a 2016 interview with Glamour. She shared that using middle names was normal in their family and not something they chose because of fame. “My mom goes by her middle name, and my sister goes by her middle name. Her first name is Hannah,” Elle said. “It’s possibly a Southern thing, I don’t know. But since my mom goes by her middle name, we go by our middle names too.”

While Dakota never had much trouble with her name, Elle said her situation was more awkward when she was younger. In school, teachers would call her by her legal first name, which confused everyone. “It was awkward in school when they were calling roll call,” she recalled. “Because they’d go, ‘Mary? Mary?’ Kids would be like, ‘There’s no Mary here.’ I’d awkwardly raise my hand, like, ‘Uh, it’s me.’”

Dakota also spoke about her name in an earlier interview. In 2004, she told People that her father chose her middle name and that it simply stuck. “My first name is Hannah,” she said. “So it is Hannah Dakota Fanning. But I have always been called Dakota.”

Names aside, both sisters have continued to grow their careers and are now preparing for a major project together. They are set to star in The Nightingale, a film based on Kristin Hannah’s 2015 novel. The movie takes place during World War II and follows two sisters trying to survive in Nazi-occupied France. It will be the first time Dakota and Elle play sisters on screen.

Before filming began, the two agreed to keep their sibling habits in check. Elle shared a lighthearted moment from the 2026 Golden Globes during an interview with E! News on Jan. 11. “[Dakota] promised me that she’s not gonna boss me around,” Elle said. “I’m like, ‘You have to treat me like a fellow actor.’” Dakota had her own request, asking Elle not to “annoy me too much.”

The Nightingale has been in development for several years. Elle also revealed to E! that both sisters are producing the film. “It’s taken a couple years in the making,” she said, “but we are finally really doing it this time.” The movie is scheduled to be released in theaters on Feb. 12, 2027.

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