JoJo Siwa changes her name to ‘Joelle,’ sparking questions about a new era

JoJo Siwa is heading into 2026 with a fresh identity and plenty of people talking. The 22 year old musician, dancer and social media star raised eyebrows on New Year’s Eve after quietly changing her name on TikTok, where she has a following of more than 46 million.

Fans quickly noticed that the Karma singer had updated her profile name to “Joelle Siwa”, a move that immediately set off speculation about what it might mean. Screenshots of the change spread fast across social media, with many wondering if it signalled a new era both personally and professionally.

Adding to the intrigue, fans on Reddit pointed out that Siwa’s boyfriend, Chris Hughes, had also been calling her “Joelle” in a since expired Instagram story. That detail only fuelled the idea that the name change was intentional and meaningful rather than a casual tweak.

@itsjojosiwa

What a year it is ahead ✨🤍

♬ son original – Musical.ly

Siwa herself seemed happy to lean into the mystery. In her final TikTok before 2026, she posted a video of herself lip syncing to her 2016 hit Boomerang, a song closely tied to her early career. The text on screen read, “Any plans for 2026?” with “Me:” placed above her as she mouthed along to the track.

She captioned the clip with, “What a year it is ahead ✨🤍”, giving fans little detail but plenty to talk about. The comments section quickly filled up, with people reacting not just to the teaser but also to the switch from JoJo to Joelle.

“Joelle feels so authentic, wishing you every happiness in 2026,” one person wrote, echoing a sentiment shared by many supportive fans. Others admitted they were confused by the change, asking whether it marked a rebrand or something more personal.

However, longtime followers were quick to step in and set the record straight. “…Her real name is Joelle, Jojo was just a nickname. Are y’all new here?” one commenter joked, reminding newer fans that the name has always been part of her identity.

Beyond career hints and name talk, Siwa has also been open about her personal life as the new year begins. After confirming her relationship with Hughes over the summer, the couple have recently spoken publicly about the possibility of getting engaged.

In a joint interview with The Sun’s Fabulous Magazine, Hughes shared his thoughts on proposals and why he is not keen on making it a holiday moment. “You always get people who get engaged [at] Christmas. You see it on Instagram, every year you’re gonna see somebody who gets engaged. I kinda like the idea of it not being at a time where it could be expected,” he said.

Siwa even floated the idea of proposing herself, but Hughes made it clear he would not be comfortable with that. “I’ve [spoken] to people about this before you, obviously. And I actually said, ‘I think if I was proposed to, that would make me really uncomfortable,’ ” he explained.

Joking but firm, Siwa warned that if he did not ask within seven years, she would take matters into her own hands. Hughes replied, “It shouldn’t take you seven years to work out if you want to marry someone. So you can go off that and then that won’t ever happen.”

Between a reclaimed name, teased projects and honest relationship talk, Siwa’s 2026 is already shaping up to be anything but quiet.