Beyoncés real name is Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter. She was born on September 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas, to Celestine "Tina" Knowles (née Beyonce), a hairdresser and salon owner, and Mathew Knowles, a businessman. Her mother, Tina Knowles-Lawson, explained that Beyoncé is her maiden name and that her name was Celestine Beyoncé, which at that time was not a cool thing to have. She wanted her name to be Linda Smith because those were the cool names. However, she changed her name after she married Mathew Knowles.