Why did Taika Waititi change his last name?

Taika Waititi changed his last name because his parents divorced when he was around five, and he was raised solely by his mother.

Although his surname is legally Cohen, Taika Waititi has been known primarily by his father’s surname for most of his life. He originally used his mother’s surname, Cohen, for his work in film and writing, and his father’s, Waititi, for visual arts endeavors.

Why did Taika Waititi change his last name?

Taika Waititi’s full name is Taika David Cohen and was born on August 16, 1975, in Wellington, and grew up in Wellington’s Aro Valley suburb and Raukokore, a small town in the Bay of Plenty. He is currently 48 years old.

Taika Waititi is the son of Robin Cohen and Taika Waititi. His father was an artist of Te Whānau-ā-Apanui descent, while his mother, Robin Cohen, was a schoolteacher of Jewish ancestry. His parents divorced when he was around five, and he was raised primarily by his mother.

Source: Ghanafuo.com