Miranda Lambert has a surprising story behind her name—and the clue is still visible on her birth certificate.
Ahead of the release of her new album Crisco on Friday, Oct. 2, the country star opened up about the unusual story behind the name her father chose for her at the very last minute.
Lambert revealed that her original name was actually crossed out on her birth certificate before her dad changed it to Miranda.
“It’s literally crossed out on my birth certificate, and he changed it to Miranda, at the last minute,” she told The Tennessean.
Lambert has a theory about where her father got the name. Because her dad, Rick, previously worked as a police officer, she believes he may have been inspired by “Miranda rights”—the constitutional rights police must read to a person before a custodial interrogation.
However, her father has never confirmed whether that was actually the reason.
“I literally think that I’m named after Miranda Rights. So does my mom,” Lambert said.
Her Parents Also Influenced Her Music
Lambert’s parents, Rick and Bev, worked as private investigators in small-town Texas while she was growing up. Their work exposed her to difficult situations that would later influence her songwriting.
The couple often provided a safe place for battered women and children, experiences Lambert has said stayed with her and helped shape some of her music.
One example is her hit song “Gunpowder & Lead,” which tells the story of a woman preparing to fight back against her abusive husband.
Lambert knew the song’s subject matter could be controversial when she sent it to country radio, but she wanted the story to be heard.
“One of my first songs out was ‘Gunpowder & Lead,’” she recalled. “Like, that wasn’t that popular to be singing about shooting an abusive husband on the radio.”
From the unusual story behind her name to the real-life experiences that influenced her songwriting, Lambert’s childhood clearly played a memorable role in shaping the artist she would eventually become.