©picture alliance / Newscom | Brian Cassella
Oprah Winfrey has surprised her fans with a striking revelation: her official first name is not Oprah, but Orpah. On the podcast Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, the 72-year-old host explained that the familiar spelling resulted from a simple mix-up of letters.
Winfrey said she was named after a biblical figure from the Book of Ruth. Her birth certificate still lists Orpah, but those around her began calling her Oprah at an early age because no one knew how to spell the name correctly. “I think I was about 20 when I realized that this isn’t my real name,” she said on the podcast.
Discovered only later
According to Winfrey, that name change was never intentionally planned. The letters “p” and “r” simply switched places, and once the name caught on, it stuck. Her story isn’t new to those who have been following her career for a long time. After all, in an old audition video from 1983, she had already explained that an aunt had named her after Orpah from the Bible, but that no one at home knew how to spell it. The revelation caused quite a stir online. Many listeners and viewers reacted with surprise that one of the most famous names in the world is actually the result of a spelling mistake. Winfrey herself didn’t seem to mind: after all, the name Oprah has taken on a life of its own for decades.
The story fits Winfrey’s image; she often shares personal anecdotes about her life, her career, and the path that led her to become one of the most influential media figures in the world. In this conversation with Keke Palmer, too, the discussion wasn’t just about her name, but about identity, growth, and the role that chance sometimes plays in public life.
©picture alliance / Newscom | Brian Cassella