Oprah Winfrey left Keke Palmer stunned after revealing that the name the world has known her by for decades isn't actually the one on her birth certificate.
Appearing on Tuesday's episode of Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, the 72-year-old media mogul shared the surprising story behind her famous name, explaining that she was originally named Orpah after a biblical figure.
"It was Orpah from the Bible," Oprah told a speechless Keke.
© Getty ImagesThe biblical inspiration
The television icon explained that her aunt chose the name from the Book of Ruth.
"Ruth, first chapter, 14th verse. It's that whole Ruth and Naomi story," she said.
© GC Images"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."
© Getty ImagesA discovery later in life
Oprah revealed that she didn't realise her birth certificate listed a different name until she was around 20 years old.
The revelation prompted Keke to share a surprising fact of her own.
Oprah pointed out that the actress also has a different name on her birth certificate: Lauren Keyana Palmer.
"I'm so happy that you knew that!" Keke exclaimed.
© Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty ImagesThe story behind Harpo
Longtime Oprah fans may already know that the media mogul's production company, Harpo Productions, is simply "Oprah" spelled backwards.
She previously shared more details about the name during an audition tape filmed in 1983, which she later resurfaced on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2005.
"My folks did not really like Harpo Marx," she joked, referring to the legendary comedian.
"We did not even have a television set for a number of years. Originally, I was named from the Bible by Aunt Ida, who named me from Ruth, the first chapter at the 14th verse, Orpah, but no one knew how to spell in my home, and that's why I ended up being Oprah."
