Oprah Winfrey Reveals Her Real Name at 72 After Years of Using the Wrong One

Billionaire media personality, Oprah Winfrey has revealed that the name the world has known her by for decades wasn’t actually the one she was given at birth.

Oprah made the revelation while appearing as a guest on Keke Palmer’s podcast, Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, where the 72-year-old media mogul shared the fascinating story behind her real name and explained how the mix-up happened.

‘It was Orpah from the Bible,’ Winfrey told the actress, explaining that her name ended up changing when she was a child.

After Palmer questioned what made her switch to Oprah, the TV star said, ‘It’s not what made me. I was a kid. Nobody knew how to spell it.’

‘So, it turned out on my birth certificate, it’s Orpah,’ she explained. ‘And then people started calling me Oprah. And so it’s just the difference between the P being before the R or after the R. So once they started with Oprah, that’s it.’

The star also revealed she was around 20 when she learned that the name her family and friends were calling her was different than what was on her birth certificate.

Oprah also went on to explain the Biblical roots and background of the unusual name.

‘Ruth, first chapter, 14th verse. It’s that whole Ruth and Naomi story,’ she said.

‘And you know, Ruth said, “Wherever thy goest, I will go.” And then Orpah said, “I’m going back. I’m sorry. I can’t. Too long. The road’s too long.”‘

Winfrey also noted that Palmer has a different name on her birth certificate as well – Lauren Keyana Palmer.