Actress Katie Holmes has decided to drop the girlish name 'Katie' in favour of the more mature 'Kate'.

The star decided to change her name after talking to husband Tom Cruise extensively about it. The pair decided that Katie sounded too girlish for a 27-year-old and so concluded that Holmes would be known as Kate instead.

Cruise commented: "Katie is a young girl's name. Her name is Kate now she's a child-bearing woman."

Katie's name is not the only thing she has changed since meeting Tom Cruise. Brought up a strict Catholic, the star converted to the Scientology religion when she began her relationship with the Mission: Impossible heartthrob and intends to bring up her daughter, Suri, according to the controversial religion.