AJ McLean is fully supportive of his daughter's wish to change her name.
AJ McLean supports daughter's wish to change name
The Backstreet Boys singer's nine-year-old daughter recently changed her name from Ava to Elliott, and he insisted that he and his wife Rochelle are behind her no matter what.
AJ told PEOPLE: "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. And it is her body, it's her name, it's her everything. And she's still Ava. She'll always be Ava to me.
"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]."
AJ went on to explain that his daughter came to him and revealed she was unhappy with her name.
He shared that she told him: ""Dad, I just feel like my name is not that unique and not that original, and there's a lot of Avas at dance and a lot of Avas at school."
He added: "She just finished watching 'Pete's Dragon', and she loved the name Elliot, but with two Ts. Now it just rolls off the tongue. Now she's Elliott."
AJ, 44 - who also has daughter Lyric, five, with Rochelle - went on to say: "Whatever journey both my girls have, I will be in their corner a million per cent, my wife will be in their corner and support them, whatever their path is and whatever their journey is. That's just the family that we are."
Rochelle previously shared on Instagram: "For those asking … not that it's anyone's business but Elliott's name change is not a gender thing. Ava’ has changed her name quite a few times since she was about five. Last year she asked us to start calling her Elliot and it stuck. She wanted something unique that no one else had. (There are so many Avas.)"
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