Singer Wynonna Judd Reveals the Real Reason She Decided to Change Her Name at Age 12

Before she became widely known as Wynonna Judd, the country music icon had a completely different name. The Kentucky native decided to change her moniker just before branching out into the music industry with her mom, Naomi Judd.

“Well, I started playing the guitar when I was 8 years old, and I was known in my family to be the girl with the guitar,” she shared in an episode of Southern Living’s “Biscuits and Jam” podcast posted on Tuesday, October 31. “Everywhere I went, I had a guitar. And I was so convinced that I was going to be successful. I changed my name at age 12 to Wynonna.”

She continued, “I was born Christina, and I changed my name because I knew that I needed a new name with my new guitar that I was going to buy when I got into show business.”

Wynonna, 59, was born Christina Claire Ciminella on May 30, 1964. Her inspiration for her new name stemmed from her love for music.

“I got the name from a song called ‘Route 66,'” she once explained. “There’s a line that says, ‘Flagstaff, Arizona, don’t forget Winona.’ So, I just decided to change it. I know people probably think I changed for professional reasons, but that’s not why.”

Naomi, who was born Diana Ellen Judd, also adopted a stage name at the start of her career. She felt like her birth name did not parallel “her own spiritual, rural Kentucky conception of her true heritage.” The “Young Love” singer drew inspiration from the Bible when it came to picking the name Naomi.

The mother-daughter duo performed as The Judds beginning in the early ‘80s and took the country music genre by storm. One day before they were set to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Naomi died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at age 76.

Wynonna has not shied away from publicly addressing the struggles of dealing with her grief since her mother’s death.

“I’m closer to my fans than I’ve ever been,” the bestselling artist explained. “It’s an interesting time. Being an orphan, you realize, ‘OK, I am alone in the world without parents,’ kind of thing. And then the flip side of that is I go to the airport, and more people come up to me from all walks of life, not just country music listeners, but just the guy who says to me, ‘I don’t listen really to country music, but I know your story and I know your family. And I want you to know that I see you and I appreciate you.'”

With the support of her fans, Wynonna has been “healed through a very difficult time.” As the holidays approach, the vocalist is excited to spend Christmas with her husband, Cactus Moser, their blended family and her granddaughter, Kaliyah. 

“I’m going to make her go with me out in the woods, and I’m going do crazy, eccentric things like my mother did,” Wynonna said of keeping family traditions alive. “She taught my son how to poop in the woods. She did really weird stuff like that, and they never forgot it. So, I want to be remembered for doing the fun stuff that maybe her mom wouldn’t let her do.”

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).