Beyonce’s mum Tina Knowles-Lawson explains unusual origin and meaning of name

Beyonce’s name and its origins have been revealed by her mother Tina Knowles-Lawson.

The 66-year-old fashion designer and businesswoman spoke about her daughter’s moniker during a new podcast and it turns out that it was Tina’s name for years.

Speaking during Tuesday’s inaugural episode of In My Head with Heather Thomson podcast, Tina said that Beyoncé is actually her maiden name and it is a name that has been used in the family for generations as a surname.

Tina, who is also the mother of singer Solange, told the show’s host: “A lot of people don’t know that Beyoncé is my last name. It’s my maiden name

She continued to say: “My name was Celestine Beyoncé, which at that time was not a cool thing to have that weird name.

“I wanted my name to be Linda Smith because those were the cool names.”

It turns out that the name is one that has been with the family for a while, with Tina saying that several people have Beyonce as their last name.

Tina went on to add that her brother and his children have Beyonce as their surname due to a ‘clerical error’.

She said: “I think me and my brother Skip were the only two that had B-E-Y-O-N-C-E.”

Tina said that in the family, there are also various ways of the name is being used.

“It’s interesting – and it shows you the times – because we asked my mother when I was grown. I was like, ‘Why is my brother’s name spelled B-E-Y-I-N-C-E? You know, it’s all these different spellings.’

“And my mom’s reply to me was like, ‘That’s what they put on your birth certificate.'”

She continued: “So I said, ‘Well, why didn’t you argue and make them correct it?’ And she said, ‘I did one time. The first time, and I was told be happy that you’re getting a birth certificate because, at one time, Black people didn’t get birth certificates.”

Speaking about the spellings, Tina said it “must’ve been horrible” for her mother to “not to even be able to have her children’s names spelled correctly.”

She continued: “So we all have different spellings. People don’t even put the two together and know that’s the same name.”

Tina took a different surname when she married Mathew Knowles, who is Beyonce’s father.

They split in 2009 after being together for more than 30 years and had their divorce finalised in 2011.

In 2015, Tina married actor Richard Lawson.

Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at [email protected] or call us direct 0207 29 33033