The Real Reason Shania Twain Changed Her Name

According to Britannica, Eilleen Regina Edwards took the surname of her stepfather Jerry Twain “at a young age.” Twain was a member of the Ojibwa tribe, the “most populous tribe in North America,” according to the Minnesota Historical Society. Twain adopted the singer, as well as her siblings, and she took his surname.

Sadly, when the country star turned 21 she lost her mom and stepfather in a traffic accident. To honour her stepfather’s Ojibwa heritage, she changed her name to Shania which means “I’m on my way,” per Britannica. Speaking on her Apple Music Hits show “Home Now Radio” (via PopCulture), the singer explained the origin of Shania Twain a little more. “I needed a stage name that sounded a little less like my grandmother’s name, because I’m named after my grandmother, both my grandmothers, Eilleen and Regina,” she said. Twain also came across someone with the name Shania, which she thought was “beautiful.”