As Last.fm notes, Sofia Carson was actually born Sofía Daccarett Char. She's related to the well known Char family, Colombian politicians and businesspeople, as the actress confirmed in an interview with the Lansing State Journal.
Both of Carson's parents were born in Colombia and, although she grew up in Florida, the Disney star's heritage was always a huge part of her life with the family even spending Christmases in Colombia each year. Likewise, Carson grew up speaking both English and Spanish at home (she can also sing in both). Carson is the singer's mother's maiden name, so she's still got a strong connection to her family regardless.
It remains unclear why the actress and singer opted to change her name, however it may simply be a case of "Sofia Carson" sounding snappier, or even being slightly easier to pronounce. Carson remains incredibly close to her Colombian heritage, gushing to Teen Vogue about the work she does there as a UNICEF ambassador. "Not only do I get to wake up every single day and do what I love, but I have this incredible, remarkable, powerful platform," she enthused, acknowledging, "It has been the greatest honor of my life to work with [UNICEF]... and to do everything I can to help in their fight to protect the rights of children."
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