Here's What Cote De Pablo's Real Name Is

Cote de Pablo is an actor who is best known for her role as Ziva David on "NCIS." She left the role in 2013, leaving fans missing her character, who was presumed dead following an attack in Israel. For years, fans wondered why de Pablo left the show — and hoped that she would someday make a return. "I didn't leave because I wanted to go or because I was ready or because I was tired. I didn't really have an option," de Pablo told Vanity Fair in 2016. De Pablo returned to the series in 2019, appearing in a total of four episodes that year, and one episode in 2020, according to her IMDb page. 

De Pablo has also appeared in other television shows and a few films, according to her IMDb page, but she doesn't have any projects lined up for the future. It seems as though she may be taking some time to focus on her personal life. De Pablo spoke about having a family — perhaps husband and kids someday — during an interview with Rachael Ray. "I'm the only one [out of the original 'NCIS' cast] that hasn't done any of it [marriage and children]. Eventually, I think it will happen. Things have been slow to come. I think happily they will come when the time is right," she shared.

And while you might think you know a lot about de Pablo's life, did you know that Cote de Pablo isn't her birth name? Keep reading to learn more.

The actor that you know and love as Cote de Pablo was born in Santiago, Chile. She was named Maria Jose de Pablo Fernandez, but, when she moved to America, she decided to change her name to Cote de Pablo, according to Showbiz Cheatsheet. The main reason that de Pablo changed her name was because many people couldn't pronounce her name. So, she went ahead and gave herself the nickname "Cote," which actually means Maria Jose.

When de Pablo moved to the United States with her parents, she was only 10-years-old. She opened up about the experience during a 2012 interview with Prevention. "I missed my country and my friends terribly. But I was raised here. And I found my niche because I went to a performing arts high school. I had always been interested in the arts, but performing became even more important because it was a way to communicate with people in my new country. It wasn't till I got to the United States that I learned to speak English," she revealed. She went on to call that time in her life "defining."

Cote de Pablo lives a very private life out of the public eye. In fact, she doesn't even have social media. In a 2019 interview with AOL's Build Series, the actor opened up about why she doesn't have an Instagram or Facebook account. "It's almost like you're talking about a world that I'm not a part of. That world is fascinating and shiny and everyone's pretty and everyone's having a great time," she said, but admitted that she doesn't really have the time for social media. "I'm not saying no to it. But when I'm having fun I'm not taking pictures of myself. I'm just having fun and I'm too busy having fun so I really haven't had a moment," she said.

In the same AOL Build Series interview, de Pablo actually made a joke about her name. She was asked if people called her Ziva (after her character in "NCIS") in Italy. She joked that someone shouting "Cote de Pablo" actually sounds like someone "had really good pasta."