At a Glance
- Dakota Fanning’s legal first name is Hannah, Elle’s is Mary
- Both sisters go by their middle names, following their mother’s tradition
- The siblings will co-star for the first time in the 2027 film “The Nightingale”
- Why it matters: Fans will finally see the real-life sisters portray sisters on screen
Dakota and Elle Fanning have never used their legal first names, even before becoming Hollywood stars. The siblings were born Hannah Dakota Fanning and Mary Elle Fanning, but have always gone by their middle names.
The Name Tradition
Elle explained the family’s naming custom in a 2016 Glamour interview, noting that her mother also goes by her middle name. “It’s possibly a Southern thing, I don’t know. But since my mom goes by her middle name, we go by our middle names too,” the 27-year-old said.
This practice occasionally created awkward moments during Elle’s school years. “It was awkward in school when they were calling roll call,” she recalled. “They’d go, ‘Mary? Mary?’ Kids would be like, ‘There’s no Mary here.’ I’d awkwardly raise my hand, like, ‘Uh, it’s me.'”
Dakota’s Name Story
Dakota, 31, confirmed her name origin in a 2004 People interview. “My first name is Hannah. So it is Hannah Dakota Fanning. But I have always been called Dakota,” she said, adding that her father created her middle name.
First Film Together
The sisters are set to appear together for the first time in “The Nightingale,” adapted from Kristin Hannah’s 2015 novel. The drama follows two siblings surviving Nazi-occupied France during World War II.
Elle will produce the film alongside Dakota. “It’s taken a couple years in the making,” she told Ryan J. Thompson at the January 11, 2026 Golden Globes. “But we are finally really doing it this time.”
On-Set Boundaries
Before filming, the sisters established ground rules to maintain professionalism. Elle required Dakota to promise she wouldn’t “boss me around,” insisting on being treated “like a fellow actor.”
Dakota countered with her own request, asking Elle not to “annoy me too much.”
Release Details
“The Nightingale” is scheduled for theatrical release on February 12, 2027. The project represents a significant milestone for the Fanning sisters, who have built separate successful careers before this collaboration.
Dakota also shared that while she’s worked with numerous movie stars, she finds herself more starstruck by reality television personalities like Lisa Vanderpump.
