Justin Timberlake's Real Name: Justin Randall Timberlake

Quick answer: Justin Timberlake's full name is Justin Randall Timberlake. He was born on January 31, 1981, in Memphis, Tennessee. He came up on Disney's The All New Mickey Mouse Club, sang in the boy band *NSYNC, and went solo with Justified (2002), "Cry Me a River," and "SexyBack." As a child he appeared on Star Search as "Justin Randall" (Britannica; Library of Congress).

Real name and early life

Britannica gives his name in full as Justin Randall Timberlake. The Library of Congress name authority files him as "Timberlake, Justin, 1981-," with a citation reading "b. Justin Randall Timberlake on Jan. 31, 1981 in Memphis, TN."

According to Britannica, his parents, Randy and Lynn (née Bomar, later Harless) Timberlake, divorced when he was very young. His father was a bluegrass musician and his grandfather a Baptist minister. He began singing in church at eight. At 11 he competed on the TV talent show Star Search as Justin Randall, singing a country song. He told the Guardian in 2011, "If my parents hadn't got me to those auditions, at some point I would have found a way myself."

Career highlights

In the early 1990s Timberlake joined the Disney Channel's The All New Mickey Mouse Club alongside Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and J.C. Chasez. In 1996 he and Chasez were recruited for *NSYNC. The group's No Strings Attached (2000) became one of the fastest-selling albums in history, with more than 14 million copies sold, and its hits included "It's Gonna Be Me."

He went solo after Celebrity (2001). Britannica says his breakup with Spears inspired several songs on Justified (2002), which won the Grammy for best pop vocal album. "Cry Me a River" won best male pop vocal performance. FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006), produced with Timbaland and Rick Rubin, won four Grammys, and "SexyBack" spent seven weeks at No. 1. The 20/20 Experience (2013) marked a comeback, and Everything I Thought It Was (2024) included *NSYNC collaborations.

Onscreen, he played Napster cofounder Sean Parker in The Social Network (2010) and appeared in Bad Teacher, Friends with Benefits, and Inside Llewyn Davis. He voiced Branch in Trolls (2016) and co-wrote its Oscar-nominated song "Can't Stop the Feeling!" He has also made memorable Saturday Night Live appearances as both host and musical guest.

Timberlake married actress Jessica Biel in 2012; they have two children. Learn more about his Mickey Mouse Club castmate on our Britney Spears real name page.

Name notes for searchers

Randall is his middle name, and Timberlake is his family surname. As a boy he briefly performed as "Justin Randall," using his first and middle names.