Oprah Winfrey Real Name

Oprah Winfrey has left everyone stunned after revealing that her real name, the one the world has known her by for decades, isn’t actually the one on her birth certificate.

The 72-year-old media mogul shared the revelation during an episode of the “Baby, This Is Keke Palmer” podcast on Tuesday.

Winfrey explained that when she was born, her aunt chose the biblical name Orpah from the Book of Ruth. However, people constantly misspelled and mispronounced it.

“It was Orpah from the Bible,” Oprah told a speechless Keke.

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.’

Curious about how Orpah became Oprah, Keke asked why she decided to change it.

“I was a kid,” Oprah replied with a laugh. “Nobody knew how to spell it.”

She went on to explain that the mix-up wasn’t intentional. “So, it turned out on my birth certificate, it’s Orpah,” she said. “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.”

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

‘I’m so happy that you knew that!’ Palmer said.

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