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Britney Spears has changed her name on social media, sparking confusion and conspiracy theories from fans.
The 41-year-old has added "Xila" to the front of her Instagram moniker, making her name "Xila Maria River Red."
Fans are desperate to know what the title means. According to FamilySearch, Xila is a name of Polish origin. However, The Bump claims it's a variation of the Greek name Xylia, relating to wood and woodlands.
One fan on Reddit hoped the singer was signaling new music with the title change, suggesting it could be a new alter ego for the pop star.
"Britney should release an album under the alter ego xila maria river red and go all lana del rey on us (one can dream)," said Cyberbro_987, although Spears recently announced her retirement from the music business.
Another Redditor said the word means "Divine play" in Hindi, while another believed the name is linked to the Zapotec word for "woman."
The Zapotecs are an indigenous Mexican people concentrated in the southern state of Oaxaca. Spears has regularly posted about Mexico in recent weeks.
Newsweek has reached out to Britney Spears for comment via email.
Why Has Britney Spears Changed Her Name on Instagram?
This is the third time in the past two years that Spears has edited her name on Instagram. In September 2022, the pop star changed her name to "Channel 8," causing a surge in fan theories.
The amendment was accompanied by other mysterious references to the number, such as footage of someone drawing a figure of eight on a playing card.
In January 2023, Spears announced that she was swapping to "River Red."
"I see right through it all... it has liquid and is wet... it's playful and has mass!!!" she told Instagram followers. "I changed my name to River Red!!! Yet the fire is where it illuminates... to stare at it and jump right in with no fear at all!!!!"
Fans were unsure if Spears had legally changed her name, or just felt like updating her Insta profile. In July, the pop star added "Maria" to her new title, calling herself "Maria River Red."
She announced the new addition with a video post, in which she danced to Santana's 1999 hit "Maria Maria."
At the time there was speculation that it was a tribute to Sam Asghari. Spears married the 29-year-old model in June 2022 after five years of dating, but the couple parted ways a year later.
Some fans noticed that "Maria River Red" is an anagram of "Remarried." However, the name change came shortly before the pair announced their split.
The edit was also followed by a series of cryptic, since-deleted posts from Spears, including optical illusions and captions about the "enemy in front of me."
Spears is currently embroiled in a public feud with her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake, following the release of her memoir, The Woman in Me, in October. The former teen idols dated for three years before a messy split in 2002.
Spears appeared to shade her ex in a recent Instagram post, telling followers: "Someone told me someone was talking s***about me on the streets !!!
"Do you want to bring it to the court or will you go home crying to your mom like you did last time ??? I'm not sorry !!!"
About the writer
Sophie is a Newsweek Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in Lincoln, UK. Her focus is reporting on film and ... Read more