Oprah Winfrey reveals her real name to Keke Palmer
Page Six • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Oprah Winfrey revealed on "Baby, This Is Keke Palmer" that her real name is Orpah, inspired by a biblical figure from the Book of Ruth, but she changed it to Oprah because people found Orpah difficult to spell.
- The name Orpah comes from the Ruth and Naomi story in the Bible, where Orpah chooses to return home, unlike Ruth who stays loyal.
- Oprah learned around age 20 that her birth certificate listed her name as Orpah, while Keke Palmer's birth name is Lauren Keyana Palmer, a fact Palmer was happy to confirm.
- Winfrey's media company, Harpo Productions, is named after her first name spelled backwards, linking to her playful embrace of her unique name history.
- An old audition tape from 1983, shared on her 2005 show, also detailed her parents' dislike for Harpo Marx and explained the origin of her biblical name given by her Aunt Ida.
