Why Did Actor Dove Cameron Change Her Name? All About Her Decision

With her celebrity status, actor/singer Dove Cameron has garnered millions of fans around the world who pride themselves on knowing everything about her — including the sentimental reason behind her name change.

Dove worked her way into the hearts of millions when she starred on the popular Disney channel series Liv and Maddie — which earned her a Daytime Emmy Award and ultimately led to landing the starring role in the network’s film franchise Descendants.

In a 2014 interview with Glancer magazine, Dove shared the heartwarming reason why she decided to drop her legal name, Chloe Celeste Hosterman, in favor of the moniker Dove Cameron.

“I changed my name when I was 14 years old. I was originally born with the name Chloe and my dad always used to call me Dove and Dovey and Dovely. He actually passed away right around the time I changed my name and so when I went into the business, it was my sort of way of honoring him,” she told the outlet.

“Most of my family and Ryan (McCartan), who plays Diggie, who is my boyfriend in real life — they all call me Chloe, just cause it feels kind of natural. But in the business, it’s Dove, but it is not a stage name; it is to honor my dad, who died before I made it big. It’s my way of being able to honor him and keep him with me,” Dove added.

Speaking with Teen Vogue in 2017, Dove also shared more about her decision to change her name, specifically how her father died. "My father always called me Dove," she replied. "He took his own life when I was 15. I didn't get to say goodbye, so I changed it in honor of him."

Dove and her musician boyfriend Damiano David made their red carpet debut as a couple while attending Clive Davis’ annual Grammy Awards party in February 2024, according to PEOPLE.

Dove opened up about the couple’s relationship in an exclusive interview with Cosmopolitan the same year. “He presents in a way that seems very easily digestible and then you spend two minutes around him and you realize he is the kindest, most generous, most innocent, most giving person,” she told the outlet at the time. “He’s like a 1950s gentleman, angel, teddy bear. He’s the best person I’ve met in my life."

In an April 2025 interview with SiriusXM, Damiano gushed about his relationship with Dove.

“I’m kind of in one of the happiest moments of my personal life. I have the healthiest relationship I’ve ever had, and I manage to see my family, see my friends, take care of myself … The victory for me now is actually to make my job and my personal life live together and not constantly fight,” he said.

“I’m already saying [I did a good job] to myself because the more I listen back to the music, the more I love it,” Damiano added, “and I’m doing it without completely sacrificing my personal life.”