AJ McLean & Wife Celebrate Daughter's First Birthday Since Official Name Change

AJ McLeanand his wife Rochelle McLean are celebrating their daughter, Elliot’s first birthday after changing her name from Ava.

The adorable little one was gushed about by her proud mom in an IG post. “MY GIRL is 10 today! ???” Rochelle opens her post. “Im going to smother her in love, hugs and kisses today! So proud of the little lady she’s growing into♥️ Forever grateful the creator chose me to be her momma ?? I love you baby girl ? Happy Birthday @elliott_jaymes1127,” she writes, tagging her daughter.

She shared a photo of Elliot smiling and throwing up the peace sign. The hairdresser and her boy band member husband recently shared that their daughter was interested in changing her name from Ava to Elliot. While they were “taken aback,” they accepted the change.

The Backstreet Boys member shared his reaction on the Today Show in September. “When my daughter asked to change her name to Elliott, initially, I didn’t know if it was a transgender thing, which it is not, but it is a personal choice.”

However, as a devoted dad he says, she will “always be Ava to” him. “But at the same time, whatever reasoning it is, that’s hers, and I’m going to support it a million percent. My wife will [too].”

Rochelle also spoke up about the change as well. “For those asking … not that it’s anyone’s business but Elliott’s name change is not a gender thing,” she insists. Rochelle goes on to say, “She wanted something unique that no one else had (There are so many Ava’s).”

This cool little girl is already trying to carve out her own uniqueness and her parents refuse to hold her back! “I didn’t really see the harm in respecting her desire to be unique.”

The singer hasn’t posted his own birthday message on his socials to his daughter yet but they live together he probably told her to her face, you know how dads are. Plus, the singer hasn’t posted on social media in months.

He obviously leaves this up to his wife! Rochelle is doing a great job at it and garnering support from her family of followers.

“Happy Birthday?10 years old! You are half Baylee’s age!!! Hope you had a great birthday weekend!” wrote Backstreet Boys Brian Littrell’s wife, Leighanne Littrell.

“Happy Birthday!!! Double digits!!??Holden is right behind you!!???,” wrote another mommy friend.

This small change doesn’t seem like a big deal to Rochelle and AJ they have tackled bigger hurdles like the musician's battle with alcohol. In September amid the girl's back-to-school month and other life milestones like the name change, McLean celebrated one year of sobriety, a huge deal for him.

“My wife could smell it on my breath, and my youngest of my two daughters would not sit with me,” he remembered during an interview on Good Morning America. “There’s too much to live for today. My beautiful children, my amazing wife, my career, my brothers. I’ve never felt more grounded.”