Why Did Annie LeBlanc Change Her Name? She Currently Prefers a New Moniker

Those who have been following Annie LeBlanc from the very beginning of her fame have practically watched her grow before their very eyes. The young influencer first popped up on people's radars as a gymnast in 2010 thanks to her YouTube account, Bratayley, where she vlogged alongside her mom and younger sister Hayley. Fast-forward to today, and Annie is a 16-year-old bonafide influencer who also boasts singing and acting careers.

So why did Annie change her name? Let's take a closer look.

Well, technically Annie didn't change her name. That's because the YouTube star's full name is Julianna Grace LeBlanc, so Annie was simply a nickname she had been using.

In October 2020, Annie revealed to her fans that moving forward she wanted to go by the name Jules, which is evidently another nickname she had been using all along. (Just not publicly/officially.)

“So a lot of you may know that I’m starting to go by Jules. My real name is Julianna, so I’m starting to go by Jules," she explained during an Instagram Live at the time.

Annie added, “I changed my TikTok, and surprisingly, a lot of people liked it, and I was not ready for it. I feel like for some reason people are mad that I’m doing it."

She continued, "And I'm changing my Instagram too, but I'm really nervous because it's like my Instagram and it's been my Instagram forever. But I'm going to keep my Annie LeBlanc just because like not everybody who knows who I am will just automatically know that I'm going by Jules."

And that's exactly what she did. If you search "Annie LeBlanc" on Instagram, her old account will pop up. But literally the only post on there reads, "New account @julesleblanc."

She also made the name change to Jules over on Twitter and YouTube, by the way. So it looks like this is probably a permanent thing.

Fans were a bit confused initially when Annie LeBlanc changed her name — but for the most part, the transition seems to have gone pretty smoothly. Which, we're sure, was a huge relief to Jules.

One Instagram user commented, "Girl, you will always be an Annie to me, you are perfect babe, just the way you are, but I will respect your opinion."

Another person wrote, "I love the name Jules for u."

Yet another Instagram follower chimed in with, "I don't really understand because I think Annie is such a pretty name but if you're more comfortable with Jules I'll support that cause I don't really care what your name is I still love what you do."

In 2020, Jules was cast in Nickelodeon comedy series Side Hustle (which also stars Jayden Bartels), and she's credited on IMDb as "Jules LeBlanc." So we wouldn't expect the actress to be flip-flopping on her stage name decision anytime soon.

As far as why Annie decided to officially change her stage name to Jules, she hasn't elaborated on what prompted her to make the move. Perhaps she thought Jules was more unique (so it would help her stand out in her acting and singing careers). Or maybe she just grew out of the nickname Annie.

Whatever the reason for her name change, it's clear it's something she really wanted. And thankfully, her fans don't seem to be holding any grudges.