Why Melinda and Bill Gates Let Their Kids Change Their Last Names

Melinda French Gates knows there’s a lot attached to a name.

And that’s why the philanthropist and ex-husband Bill Gates, who she divorced in 2021 following 27 years of marriage, opted to let their children—daughters Phoebe, 22, and Jennifer, 28, and son Rory, 25—choose for themselves the last names they wanted to go by.

“I wanted the kids to be seen for who they were,” Melinda said in a profile published March 17 for Elle’s 2025 Women of Impact issue. “My oldest daughter went in with Gates; she felt like she was ready to take that name on. My son chose not to. He used French all the way through high school.”

“I just tried to keep them in the real world and point things out to them as much as possible,” she continued telling the outlet. “We had real discussions about how our family was different, but you shouldn’t think any more of yourself because of that.”