Angelina Jolie doesn't use her last name because she legally removed her birth surname, Voight, in 2002, choosing instead to use her middle name, Jolie, which she had already adopted as her stage name.
Legal Name Change and Its Context
The decision to legally drop the surname of her father, actor Jon Voight, was a significant personal and professional choice rooted in a strained relationship. While Angelina Jolie and Jon Voight had briefly reconciled, notably appearing together in the film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), their relationship subsequently deteriorated.
Amidst these ongoing familial difficulties, Jolie petitioned the court to officially remove "Voight" from her legal name. This petition was granted on September 12, 2002, legally establishing her name as solely Angelina Jolie. Prior to this legal change, she had already been widely known and credited professionally simply as "Angelina Jolie." By formalizing this change, she further solidified her identity distinct from her paternal lineage.
