So here’s a fun fact you might have missed: Macaulay Culkin‘s legal name is now Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin. Yeah, you read that right. The beloved Home Alone star just reminded fans of this bizarre reality during a recent anniversary event, and honestly, it’s just as wild as it sounds.
The whole thing went down at A Nostalgic Night with Macaulay Culkin in Long Beach, California last Saturday (November 22, 2025), where the actor was celebrating the 35th anniversary of Home Alone. During a Q&A session, someone asked about his actual name, and Culkin didn’t hesitate. “My name is Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin,” he told the crowd with what we can only imagine was a huge grin.
Now, if you’re scratching your head, wondering how this happened, buckle up. Back in November 2018, Culkin appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and announced he wanted to spice things up a bit. “I felt like, you know, I should probably spruce up my name a little bit,” he explained at the time. Instead of just picking something himself, though, he did what any internet-savvy celebrity would do—he let his fans decide.
The options were absolutely ridiculous. We’re talking “Shark Week,” “The McRib Is Back,” “Publicity Stunt,” and “Kieran” (a sweet nod to his brother, actor Kieran Culkin). But the winning choice? Simply “Macaulay Culkin,” which meant his middle name would become his first name, creating the tongue-twister we know today.
On Christmas Day 2018, Culkin announced the poll results, confirming he’d make the change official in 2019. And apparently, he actually followed through with it.
What makes this even better is that Culkin has zero regrets about the whole thing. At the recent event, he explained the genius behind his decision. “If somebody comes up to me at the airport and says, ‘Excuse me, are you Macaulay Culkin?’ I can say, ‘Well, Macaulay Culkin is my middle name,'” he joked. The punchline? “I did it all for that one joke,” he admitted.
During the same event, Culkin also reflected on what could have been. If fans had voted for “Kieran” instead, his name would be Macaulay Kieran Culkin Culkin. “That would be great. I love my brother. Between me and him we have exactly one Oscar,” he quipped, referencing Kieran’s recent Academy Award win for A Real Pain.
The actor has been making the publicity rounds lately, celebrating Home Alone’s milestone anniversary and appearing in a new documentary about his late Uncle Buck co-star, John Candy. Meanwhile, his two sons—Dakota, 4, and Carson, 3—apparently have no idea their dad is the famous Kevin McAllister. “They have no idea that I’m Kevin,” Culkin shared, adding that he hopes to keep that secret going as long as possible.
So there you have it. Macaulay Culkin really did change his legal name to Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin, all for one perfect airport joke. And honestly? We respect the commitment.
