Oprah Real Name: The Surprising Truth Revealed
Oprah Winfrey Reveals Her Birth Name Was ‘Orpah’
Keke Palmer was surprised to learn that Oprah Winfrey’s birth name isn’t actually Oprah.
During an episode of Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, Oprah revealed that her birth certificate lists her name as Orpah, a biblical name taken from the Book of Ruth. According to Oprah, people frequently mispronounced and misspelled the name while she was growing up, and over time, “Orpah” gradually became the name the world now knows as Oprah.
Oprah explained that she didn’t even realize the name change wasn’t official until she was around 20 years old, when she learned her legal birth certificate still read “Orpah.”
The conversation went beyond the surprising name revelation and focused on Oprah’s remarkable career. She shared that podcasting has reignited her passion for meaningful, long-form conversations after interviewing more than 3,500 people throughout her career.
She also reflected on one of the biggest turning points in her business journey. Oprah recalled receiving advice from a lawyer who asked, “What if you owned yourself?” That question inspired her to negotiate ownership of The Oprah Winfrey Show, a decision that helped transform her into one of the most successful media entrepreneurs in history.
The interview also revisited Oprah’s short-lived late-1990s theme song, “Run On,” which she jokingly described as one of the biggest mistakes of her career, while Keke Palmer playfully defended it.
Did you already know Oprah’s birth name was Orpah, or is this your first time hearing the story?
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