Cher Discovers Legal Name Was 'Cheryl' in 1979 Birth Certificate Revelation

In her new memoir, Cher recounts the surprise of learning her birth certificate listed her name as Cheryl, not Cherilyn, as she had believed for decades.

Cher's memoir, 'Cher: The Memoir, Part One,' reveals she discovered her legal name was Cheryl while applying to legally change her name to Cher in 1979.
The singer believed her name was Cherilyn, a combination her mother created inspired by actress Lana Turner and her grandmother's name, Lynda.
Her mother, Georgia Holt, attributed the error to exhaustion after a difficult, unmedicated labor when naming her daughter in 1946.
Cher legally dropped her last name and adopted her famous mononym in 1979, simplifying her identity and avoiding confusion with her married names.
The memoir, released November 19, also delves into Cher's personal and professional life, including her relationships and early career experiences.