What is Beyoncé's full first name, as shown on her birth record?

Beyoncé's full first name, as shown on her birth record, is Beyoncé Giselle. She was born Beyoncé Giselle Knowles on September 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas. Her middle name is Giselle, while Knowles was her family surname before her marriage to rapper Jay-Z.

The singer is professionally known simply as Beyoncé. The accented é is part of the name used in her public branding and distinguishes the spelling from an unaccented form. Her parents are Tina Knowles and Mathew Knowles, and her younger sister is singer Solange Knowles.

People sometimes confuse Beyoncé's first and middle names with her married surname, Carter. She has used Beyoncé Knowles-Carter in some professional and legal contexts, but her stage name remains Beyoncé. The full birth name is therefore longer than the one-word name familiar to audiences worldwide.