Beyonce's name explained

Superstar Beyonce's mother Tina Knowles gave her daughter her name to keep her own family name alive.

The inspiration behind Beyonce’s unusual name lies in Tina’s worry that her own pre-married family name Beyince would die out.

Speaking at the premiere of the Beyonce’s new HBO documentary 'Life Is But A Dream', Beyonce's maternal uncle Roland Beyince said: "My sister Tina didn't think we had enough boys in the family to keep the [Beyince] name going, so she gave Beyonce our last name as the first name."

The premiere took place at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York last Tuesday and was attended by Beyonce and her husband Jay-Z as well as Oprah Winfrey, Chris Rock and Russell Simmons.

The 31-year-old R&B superstar admitted she hopes the tell-all film will inspire her and Jay-Z's 13-month-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter. Beyonce said: "I hope that she will see all of the beautiful times [and] all the tough times that led up to her being here. I'm hoping that ... it can comfort her and inspire her in her life when she needs it."