Much like when I found out that Zendaya’s last name is Coleman, I was shook when I found out that Billie Eilish and Finneas’ legal last name is O’Connell. The siblings have been megastars for years now, and for some reason, I never thought about their last name. This was especially true for Billie, I just assumed her legal surname was Eilish. However, it’s not, and the siblings hilariously explained why that is.
Since 2019, and the release of “Bad Guy,” the world has been aware of Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas. They’ve created massive tracks for Eilish, became Oscar winners in 2022 for their James Bond song “No Time To Die,” and produced “What Was I Made For” which was featured in the 2023 movie schedule hit Barbie.
With how recognizable they’ve become, I, like many others presumably, have wondered why Finneas doesn’t use his last name. Well, in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, the duo addressed why they don’t use their it, and Finneas explained why he only goes by his first, saying:
Well, my name is three syllables and then, like, our legal last name is another three syllables. It just felt a little clunky. And I’m a big fan of Cher.
Six syllables is a lot, and it is a bit of a mouthful. Also, there’s something very cool about just Finneas. Not that Finneas O’Connell isn’t a great name, it’s just that his first name is so unique and stands so boldly on its own.
Adding onto this conversation Billie Eilish explained why she doesn’t use O’Connell in her stage name. I didn’t even put two and two together that Eilish wasn’t her legal last name until this interview if I’m being honest. So, this kind of blew me away. She said:
So, mine’s Billie Eilish O’Connell. His is Finneas O’Connell. But I’ve just been going by Billie Eilish since I was, like, a little baby.
Well, folks, there you have it, it was a fairly simple decision to drop O’Connell from their stage names, and I totally get it.
Along with their explanation, the brother-sister-duo elaborated more on O’Connell, and just how Irish it is. Their conversation with Jimmy Kimmel went like this:
Billie Eilish: It’s just like not the sickest last name. You know what I’m saying?
Jimmy Kimmel: It’s a solid last name, O’Connell. No?
Finneas: If we had a potato farm.
Eilish: It’s like very, very Irish. Billie Eilish O’Connell, it doesn’t get more Irish than that.
Kimmel: Yeah, it’s pretty Irish. There’s nothing wrong with that. You guys could easily buy a potato farm if you wanted to.
Maybe starting a potato farm could be their retirement plan. However, I don’t think they’ll need one of thoes anytime soon. These two are a writing force, with hits like “Ocean Eyes” and “Bad Guy,” as well as movie songs like “No Time To Die,” which they got “lucky” while writing, and the viral and “devastating” “What Was I Made For” from the well-reviewed Barbie.
Basically, what I’m saying is The O’Connell siblings are a tour de force, and they’ve earned their singular (-ish in Billie’s case) stage names.