Beyoncé and Jay-Z's children: Get to know the Carter kids
The showbiz couple have three children together
They are one of the strongest celeb couples on the planet, so when Beyoncé and her husband Jay Z started a family in 2012, welcoming their daughter Blue Ivy, fans were over the moon! So you can imagine all of our excitement when the pair expanded their family in 2017 with the arrival of their twins, called Rumi and Sir Carter.
Although the couple tend to keep their children's lives mostly out of the spotlight, there have been a number of occasions across the years when Blue Ivy, Rumi and Sir have stolen the show from their famous parents - who can forget Blue's historic Grammy Award win?! Here's everything you could ever need to know about Beyoncé and Jay Z's children, including pictures Bey has shared of her gorgeous family...
How many kids does Beyoncé have?
Beyoncé shares three children with her husband Jay-Z: daughters Blue Ivy and Rumi, and son Sir.
Blue Ivy was the couple's first child, born in 2012, with twins Rumi and Sir arriving in 2017.
Blue Ivy Carter
Beyoncé's first pregnancy announcement was certainly an unforgettable one! After giving an absolutely dynamite performance of 'Love On Top' at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, the singer dropped her mic before opening up her sparkly suit jacket and showing off her baby bump to the crowd.
As the crowd went wild, the camera then panned to Bey's husband Jay Z who looked absolutely ecstatic, with his former friend Kanye West excitedly jumping about.
When was Blue Ivy born?
Blue Ivy Carter was welcomed into the world on 7th January 2012, making her currently 12-years-old.
Blue Ivy’s name
Despite keeping fans wondering about the meaning behind her daughter’s name choice, Beyonce seemingly dropped a hint in June 2012 about the moniker, sharing a short excerpt from Rebecca Solnit’s novel 'A Field Guide to Getting Lost'.
It reads: ‘The world is blue at its edges and in its depths. This blue is the light that got lost. Light at the end blue end of the spectrum does not travel the whole distance from the sun to us.
‘It disperses among the molecules of the air, it scatters in the water. Water is colorless, shallow water appears to be the color of whatever lies underneath it, but deep water is full of this scattered light, the purer the water the deeper the blue.
‘The sky is blue for the same reason, but the blue at the horizon, the blue of the land that seems to be dissolving into the sky, is a deeper, dreamier, melancholy blue, the blue at the farthest reaches of the places where you see for miles, the blue of distance. This light does not touch us, does not travel the whole distance, the light that gets lost, gives us the beauty of the world, so much of which is in the color blue.’
Of course, there have also been some wild conspiracies about the couple's choice for their first born, but perhaps the most common is that the name Blue references Jay Z's iconic 'Blueprints' album.
What's her middle name?
Beyoncé and Jay Z chose not to give their child Blue Ivy a middle name, possibly because her first name is double-barrelled.
Blue Ivy singing
With her mum being Beyoncé and her dad being Jay Z, there wasn't really any doubt that Blue Ivy wouldn't be a superstar in her own right, and she certainly proved that in 2020.
Blue Ivy's name is credited as an artist on Beyoncé's single 'Brown Skin Girl' along with SAINT JHN and WizKid. The then nine-year-old provided vocals for the track at the start and end.
Check out the video for 'Brown Skin Girl' below:
Did she win a Grammy Award?
In March 2021, Blue Ivy won her very own Grammy Award for her role in the music video for 'Brown Skin Girl'.
Not only did the young star make history with her win, but also with her iconic use of the award itself - would you not use it to sip juice from too? Posing in a photo shared to Beyoncé's Instagram, Blue Ivy can be seen sipping from the award through a paper straw, while donning a shiny golden crown - you know, like a true winner!
Blue Ivy on Beyoncé's 'Renaissance World Tour' in 2023
We all know that Beyoncé has teamed up with some pretty huge names in her time - not only on songs but for performances too... Remember when she reunited Destiny's Child at Coachella in 2018?!
But nothing will beat bringing out her own daughter on the Renaissance World Tour in 2023. Blue performed as part of Bey's dance troupe in Paris and London, absolutely giving her all with the choreography and smashing it.
Blue Ivy in Mufasa
As well as being incredibly talented in singing and dancing, Blue is also honing her acting skills - and will voice star in the upcoming prequel to the live-action adaptation of The Lion King, Mufasa.
Blue will take on the iconic role of Kiara - the daughter of Simba, voiced by Donald Glover, and Nala... Voiced by her own mum, Beyoncé!
According to the official synopsis, Kiara will be a pretty main role in this story: 'Mufasa: The Lion King enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick.
'Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka — the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny — their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.'
Mufasa: The Lion King trailer
Beyoncé’s twins
Many thought Queen Bey wouldn't be able to top her first pregnancy announcement, but everybody was proven wrong when the singer announced she was expecting twins in 2017.
Deciding to announce the news via Instagram with one of the most amazing photoshoots in history, the singer broke the Internet by writing: 'We would like to share our love and happiness. We have been blessed two times over. We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two, and we thank you for your well wishes. - The Carters'. (sic)
To date, Beyoncé's snap has almost 11 million likes on the social media platform, and was the most-liked Instagram photo in 2017.
When were the twins born?
Sir and Rumi were born on 13th June 2017, making them currently seven-years-old.
Sir Carter’s name
Beyoncé's only son is called Sir Carter! Fans were left incredibly confused over Bey and Jay Z's name choice for their son back in 2017, when the singer posted THAT photo of herself cradling her newborn twins.
Taking to Instagram to show off her new babies in a spectacular photo, the 'Halo' singer confirmed her son is called Sir Carter and her daughter is called Rumi. She wrote: 'Sir Carter and Rumi 1 month today.'
However, fans were left confused as to whether her son was called Sir Carter Carter, or whether he was just called Sir, with Carter being his surname. Many took to the comments section to ask their questions.
Beyoncé's mum Tina Knowles, however, seemed to clear up the confusion when she gushed over her new grandchildren in a sweet post.
Tina shared the famous shot of her daughter and wrote: 'So Happy my baby shared a photo of her babies with the world ❤️❤️❤️proud grandma hello Sir Carter and Rumi Carter❤️❤️ 7/13/2017 Boy and girl what a blessing ❤️'. (sic)
Rumi Carter's name
Beyoncé decided to call her second daughter Rumi Carter!
Unlike her twin brother Sir Carter, the decision behind Rumi's name choice seems a pretty simple one! During an interview with Elliott Wilson and Brian Miller on Tidal, proud dad Jay Z said: "Rumi is our favorite poet, so it was for our daughter."
What are their middle names?
Just like their elder sister Blue Ivy, Rumi and Sir do not have middle names. On official documents registered by Bey and Jay to trademark the names, no middle name was included.
Photos of Beyoncé's twins
Unlike their first born daughter Blue Ivy, Bey and Jay have decided to keep their twins Rumi and Sir mostly out of the spotlight, only releasing minimal snaps of their son and daughter.
2017
Fans were given a first glimpse of the twins when they were just one-month-old, with Beyoncé yet again breaking the Internet in another extravagant shoot. Following in the same theme as her pregnancy announcement, Bey held the newborns in her arms as she posed in front of a stunning flower wall.
She told fans: 'Sir Carter and Rumi 1 month today. 🙏🏽❤️👨🏽👩🏽👧🏽👶🏾👶🏾'.
June 2018
It was then a year later when fans were given another glimpse of the twins - in June 2018, Beyoncé's mum Tina Knowles shared the most adorable snap of her grandchildren to her own Instagram page, captioning the shot with: 'My babies❤️❤️❤️'.
Tina used a screenshot from visuals used during Bey and Jay's 'On The Run II' tour, where Rumi and Sir were dressed up for their parent's vow renewal ceremony.
July 2018
A month later, Beyoncé then shared an adorable photo of Rumi and Sir sitting on her knee during a family holiday to Europe in July 2018. The mum-of-three uploaded the cute snap to her website Beyonce.com.
New Year’s Day 2020
Beyoncé delighted her fans on New Year's Day in 2020, sharing a re-cap of her life over the past 12 months, which also happened to feature some cameo appearances from twins Rumi and Sir Carter.
The 90-second long video showcased major events in 2019, including New Year's Eve, Blue Ivy's seventh birthday, The Oscars, The Brit Awards, her Netflix documentary Homecoming, Rumi and Sir's second birthday, The Lion King premiere and much more.
But perhaps the biggest talking point from the video was the Carters' adorable Christmas card, which featured brand new photos of Rumi and Sir Carter.
July 2020
Following the release of Beyoncé's visual album 'Black Is King' for Disney+, the superstar decided to involve her two daughters Rumi and Blue Ivy, and her mum Tina on the amazing video for the song 'Brown Skin Girl'.
The three generations of women could be seen standing in a field and staring into the camera, wearing matching floral dresses. Blue won her very own Grammy Award for her role in 'Brown Skin Girl'.
As well as featuring Rumi and Blue Ivy in the video, Bey also decided to dedicate 'Black Is King' to her son Sir Carter.
At the end of the video, Beyoncé shared a candid photo of herself hugging her son, writing underneath 'dedicated to my son, Sir Carter'.
New Year 2021
In a message to welcome in the New Year of 2021, Beyoncé surprised her fans with a special video message uploaded to Instagram. The four-minute clip showed her biggest achievements and memories of 2020, including unseen footage of Blue Ivy, Rumi and Sir Carter.
Alongside the clip she wrote: 'Cheers to a New Year Beyhive!! 🎆🎊 2020 divided us and united us. Most could not see loved ones and we felt too many losses, but we were united by our humanity. This year for me has been about celebrating joy, chasing happiness, and living in love.
'As we all look forward and pray for new beginnings, my wish for you is that you honor yourself and those you love. Celebrate that you are an important individual who contributes to our beautiful collective. Here’s to a better and brighter 2021!'
May 2021
In May 2021, Beyoncé’s hairstylist Neal Farinah shared a super cute snap of ALL the family looking incredibly chic and grown up.
She wrote: '#FashionBombFamily: #TheCarters posed for a flick together wearing coordinating black and white looks! At the same time, we got a chance to see updated pictures of the kiddos #BlueIvy and twins #SirandRumi. So adorable!'
November 2022
Beyoncé shared a super cute snap of the whole family on 4th November 2022, dressed up as The Proud Family - a Disney Channel show which originally ran from 2001-5 and had a reboot earlier in the year.
The whole family got involved, with Jay-Z cosplaying as Oscar Proud, Blue Ivy as Penny Proud and Rumi and Sir as CeCe and BeBe. Beyoncé slightly confused proceedings, appearing in the snap twice - once as mum Trudy and once as grandmother Sugar Mama.
One fan echoed everyone’s thoughts in a comment on the post: ‘This is poppin but im confused, beyonce look like the mom AND the grandma here am i buggin?’
August 2023
While attending one of Beyoncé's 'Renaissance' tour concerts, Madonna shared a backstage snap of herself along with three of her children, plus Beyoncé and her daughter Rumi.
February 2024
Rumi was pictured alongside her dad and sister at the Super Bowl pre-game on 11th February 2024, looking super cute!
Scroll through a timeline of Beyoncé's incredible career so far:
Before 1998
Beyoncé started her music career as a young child. When she was just eight-years-old she met LaTavia Roberson at an audition. The pair were put into a group called Girl's Tyme along with some other girls.
Usher revealed in an interview with People that he knew Beyoncé when she was just 11 or 12-years-old. He told them: "She used to be in a group by the name of The Dolls. I don't know if I could consider myself their babysitter, but I had a time where I had to watch The Dolls."
In 1995 Beyoncé's dad quit his job to manage the group, reducing the line-up to four.
In 1996, the group changed their name on Destiny's Child. They've had a few line-ups over the years, in 1998 this was the line-up: LeToya Luckett, LaTavia Roberson, Kelly Rowland and Beyoncé.
2000: Destiny's Child most famous line-up
Kelly Rowland, Beyonce Knowles, Michelle Williams is the best-known line-up for Destiny's Child. The group got their first UK Number 1 in 2000 with 'Independent Women Part I' which featured on the Charlie's Angels' soundtrack.
The group's four albums and hits included 'Bills, Bills, Bills', 'Survivor', 'Independent Woman' and 'Bootylicious' and saw them become one of the best-selling girl groups in history.
2001: Destiny's Child won two Grammys
'Say My Name' was a big winner for Destiny's Child in 2001. Beyoncé, Kelly and Michelle won two Grammys for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Best R&B Song.
Over the years, Destiny's Child have been nominated for 14 Grammys and won three.
2002: Beyoncé starred in Austin Powers in Goldmember
Austin Powers in Goldmember was the first big screen release that Beyoncé starred in. She played the role of Foxxy Cleopatra, Austin Powers' new sidekick.
2003: The Fighting Temptations
In 2003, Beyoncé starred in The Fighting Temptations, a film which also starred Cuba Gooding Jr.
2003 was also the year that Beyoncé released her debut solo hit 'Crazy In Love', it quickly claimed the Number 1 spot on both sides of the Atlantic.
2007: Beyoncé starred in Dreamgirls
Beyoncé played the role of Deena Jones in the Hollywood blockbuster Dreamgirls. The film, although a work of fiction, was inspired by the Motown record label and Diana Ross and The Supremes.
Beyoncé was nominated for the Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Golden Globe.
2008: Beyoncé released ' I Am... Sasha Fierce'
Beyoncé released her third solo studio album 'I am... Sasha Fierce', named after her on-stage alter ego. The album was hugely popular spawning hits 'If I Were a Boy', 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)', 'Halo' and 'Sweet Dreams'.
Watch the music video for 'Single Ladies'
2011: Beyoncé headlined Glastonbury
Headlining the Sunday night at the iconic festival, Beyoncé's Glastonbury performance was one that will be talked about for years to come. The singer performed some of her biggest songs including 'Crazy in Love', 'Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)' and 'Sweet Dreams'.
2014: Beyoncé won four MTV Music Awards
Beyoncé took home four awards at the 2014 MTV Music Awards, including the Video Vanguard Award which is a 'special award of merit' that is given to recording artists and music video directors.
That year she also took home awards for Best Video with a Social Message and Best Cinematography both for 'Pretty Hurts' and Best Collaboration for 'Drunk in Love' featuring Jay-Z.
2015: Beyoncé won three Grammys
In 2015, Beyoncé added to her collection of Grammys winning three awards. She won, Best Surround Sound Album for 'Beyoncé', and Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song both for 'Drunk in Love' featuring Jay-Z.
2016: Ivy Park clothing line
Adding to her list of huge accomplishments, who can forget back in 2014 when the superstar co-founded the popular athleisure clothing line Ivy Park?! The brand initially hit the shelves as it launched as a joint venture with Topshop in 2016.
Following the brand's MEGA success, Ivy Park has gone onto launch multiple collabs with none other than sports-wear giant Adidas!
2016: Beyoncé released 'Lemonade'
Beyoncé's sixth album 'Lemonade' wins the award for most talked-up - and rightly so. 'Lemonade' dropped out of NOWHERE on 23rd April 2016 as a visual album including a 65-minute film. The album's tracks largely focus on Beyoncé's husband Jay-Z's alleged infidelities.
Bey doesn't hold back in the lyrics, 'Hold Up' includes the lines, 'I smell your secrets, and I'm not too perfect to ever feel this worthless. How did it come down to this? Scrolling through your call list'. These themes continue in 'Sorry' with, 'Look at my watch, he should have been home. Today I regret the night I put that ring on', before the now-iconic lines, 'He only want me when I'm not there. He better call Becky with the good hair.'
As you can imagine, the internet went into MELTDOWN! Only adding to the hype was that the album was only available to stream on Jay-Z's Tidal for the first week of its release.
2017: Beyoncé took home two Grammys
Beyoncé followed her 2015 success winning two Grammys in 2017 for Best Urban Contemporary Album for 'Lemonade' and Best Music Video for 'Formation'.
This was the year that Adele won five Grammys being up against Beyoncé in several categories. She famously 'broke' her Grammy in half wanting to give part of it to Beyoncé.
2018: Destiny's Child's reunion at Coachella
The girls are still going strong! The trio united when Beyoncé headlined Coachella in 2018 with a special appearance much to the delight of the crowd. Plus they seem as close as ever with Beyoncé celebrating bandmate Kelly Rowland's 38th birthday with some epic throwback pics. The pair go way back as they originally met at school before forming a band managed by Beyoncé's father Matthew Knowles.
2019: Beyoncé starred in the live-action remake of The Lion King
Beyoncé appeared as the adult Nala in the Disney live-action remake of The Lion King. It was back in 2017 that rumours first surfaced that the pop star would be taking on a role in the film, and she even released Lion King-inspired album 'The Gift', produced by Beyoncé herself.
2020: Beyoncé released 'Black Is King'
'Black Is King' was the visual companion to Beyoncé's album, 'The Lion King: The Gift', which accompanied the 2020 film.
'Black Is King' was directed, written, and executive produced by Beyoncé.
2021: Beyoncé wrote 'Be Alive'
Beyoncé wrote a song called 'Be Alive' which is featured on the soundtrack for the film King Richard, which stars Will Smith.
The song has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
2022: Beyoncé releases 'act i Renaissance'
After what felt like a lifetime, Beyoncé officially revealed in June 2022 that she had a new album on the way. After getting her fans talking as she removed all of her social media profile pictures, the singer subtly revealed that she had a new album on the way as she simply changed her bio's to read: 'act i RENAISSANCE 7.29'.
Not only did the bio officially reveal that her seventh studio album would be called 'act i Renaissance', but it also confirmed that the album would be released on 29th July 2022 - a massive six years since her last album 'Lemonade'.
Ahead of dropping the album, she released the amazing track 'Break My Soul' on 21st June, which has since also had six different remixed versions released.
2023: Beyoncé announces 'Renaissance' world tour
Beyoncé announced her 'Renaissance' world tour on 1st February. Her tour includes several UK dates, as well as 40 in total across Europe and North America.
2023: Beyoncé makes Grammy Award history
Beyoncé makes Grammy Award history by breaking the record for the most Grammy wins - totaling an incredible 32 awards!
2023: Two BRIT Award wins
Although she couldn't be there in person, Beyoncé still dominated the BRIT Awards 2023, taking home both awards she was nominated for: International Artist of the Year and Best International Song for 'Break My Soul'. She beat the likes of Lizzo, Taylor Swift, David Guetta, Ed Sheeran and OneRepublic for the gongs!
2023: Beyoncé embarked on her 'Renaissance' tour
Beyoncé embarked on her amazing 'Renaissance' tour in 2023, which included several dates across the UK. The epic set list consisted of 36 songs, including classic hits such as 'Crazy In Love' and 'Run The World (Girls)' along with songs from her most recent album.
The tour began in Stockholm in May and concludes in Kansas City in October.
2023: Beyoncé's 'Renaissance' tour film released in cinemas
Beyoncé has released her film Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé in cinemas. The film includes behind the scenes footage from her huge tour. It was confirmed shortly after the announcement, that the film would drop in cinemas worldwide on 1st December 2023.
2024: Beyoncé releases 'Cowboy Carter'
Beyoncé releases her first country album 'Cowboy Carter'. The album features 27 songs including her hits '16 Carriages' and 'Texas Hold 'Em'.
You can hear Beyoncé's biggest hits on Clyde 1.
Now read:
Beyoncé's glittering career: From Destiny's Child to The Carters
The biggest Beyoncé collabs to date: From Jay-Z to Lady Gaga
Beyoncé announces new album in Super Bowl advert and releases two singles