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It's official: Kanye West legally changes name to Ye for 'personal reasons'

It's official: Kanye West is now Ye.

A Los Angeles judge approved the rapper's request to formally change his name from Kanye Omari West to just Ye, with no middle name or last name, the Los Angeles Superior Court confirmed to USA TODAY Monday.

"There being no objections, the petition for change of name is granted,” Judge Michelle Williams Court said in court documents. The "Donda" rapper originally filed the petition to change his moniker in August, citing ​"personal reasons."

The 44-year-old's Instagram and Twitter account currently show his name as Ye, although his official handle remains @kanyewest on both platforms.

His ex Kim Kardashian West and their four children – North West, 8, Saint West, 5, Chicago West, 3, and Psalm West, 2 – all bear his former surname. Kardashian West didn't change her last name back to Kardashian when she filed for divorce in February.

USA TODAY reached out to Ye's reps for comment.

Kanye West files to legally change his name to Ye over 'personal reasons'

In this Nov. 17, 2019, file photo, Kanye West appears on stage during a service at Lakewood Church in Houston.
In this Nov. 17, 2019, file photo, Kanye West appears on stage during a service at Lakewood Church in Houston.

Ye, an abbreviation of his first name, is the rapper's longstanding nickname that he used as early as 2012 in his hit single "Clique" featuring Jay-Z and Big Sean ("Yeah, I'm talking Ye").

In 2018, the rapper, music producer and clothing entrepreneur announced on Twitter that he's no longer "the being formally known as Kanye West… I am YE." Some may refer to Ye as an alter ego, but West explained in another tweet: "Who or what is Kanye West with no ego? Just Ye."

Kanye West's album 'Donda' finally arrives, claims music label released it without his approval

Ye also has a religious significance to him. West titled his eighth studio album "Ye," which was released in 2018.

"I believe 'ye' is the most commonly used word in the Bible, and in the Bible it means 'you,' " West said during an interview with Big Boy in June 2018.

He continued: "So I'm you, I'm us, it's us. It went from Kanye, which means the only one, to just Ye – just being a reflection of our good, our bad, our confused, everything. The album is more of a reflection of who we are."

Ye's name change is the latest shakeup for the star. He also recently put his ranch and business properties in northwestern Wyoming up for sale for $11 million. Ye moved from California to Wyoming in 2019.

Contributing: The Associated Press

Kanye West puts Wyoming ranch, featuring go-kart track and lakes, on market for $11 million

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kanye West changes name to Ye for 'personal reasons'