American media mogul Oprah Winfrey has stunned fans by revealing that the name recorded on her birth certificate is not Oprah.
The 72-year-old television personality disclosed that her birth name is Orpah Gail Winfrey during an appearance on Keke Palmer’s podcast, Baby, This Is Keke Palmer.
Winfrey explained that Orpah was chosen from the Bible, but people around her struggled to spell and pronounce it correctly when she was a child.
They repeatedly switched the positions of the letters “P” and “R,” turning Orpah into Oprah.
The mistake eventually became permanent as her family, friends and teachers became accustomed to calling her Oprah.
Winfrey said she did not personally decide to change the name because she was a child when the different pronunciation took hold.
She revealed that she was around 20 years old when she discovered that the familiar name used by everyone around her differed from the one on her birth certificate.
The television host said her Aunt Ida selected Orpah from the Book of Ruth, specifically the first chapter and 14th verse.
In the biblical account, Ruth and Orpah were Naomi’s widowed daughters-in-law. Ruth remained with Naomi, while Orpah returned to her people.
Winfrey jokingly explained that Ruth agreed to continue the difficult journey with Naomi, while Orpah decided the road was too long and turned back.
Palmer was visibly surprised by the revelation but shared a similar experience because Keke is also not her first name.
The actress and podcast host was born Lauren Keyana Palmer.
How ‘Oprah’ became a global media brand
The accidental name change did not prevent Winfrey from turning Oprah into one of the most valuable identities in global entertainment.
Her production company, Harpo Productions, takes its name from Oprah spelled backwards.
Winfrey founded Harpo Productions in 1986, the same year The Oprah Winfrey Show entered national syndication.
She had previously discussed the origin of her name during a 2005 episode of her talk show.
At the time, Winfrey dismissed suggestions that her family had named her after Harpo Marx, a member of the Marx Brothers comedy group.
She explained that her family did not own a television for several years and had no special connection to the comedian.
The latest podcast appearance brought the little-known story behind her famous name back into public attention.
The same conversation also generated controversy after Winfrey argued that young people should not expect work-life balance at the beginning of their careers.
Palmer had asked her what “living your best life” meant.
Winfrey replied that it meant having the freedom to make decisions based on what a person genuinely wanted rather than what circumstances forced them to do.
She said young graduates beginning their first jobs should concentrate on putting in the necessary work instead of expecting immediate balance at the age of 22.
According to Winfrey, she can now accept only the projects she wants because she spent years doing what was necessary to establish herself.
Her comments divided social media users.
Critics accused the billionaire of being disconnected from the struggles of ordinary workers and argued that constant overworking should not be promoted as the only route to success.
Others warned that people were not guaranteed to live long enough to enjoy rewards continually postponed for the future.
Supporters defended Winfrey, arguing that lasting success often required sacrifice, discipline and sustained effort during the early stages of a career.
Winfrey began working in media at 17 before becoming the host of The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1986.
The programme ran for 25 seasons and transformed her into one of the world’s most influential media personalities.
She became a millionaire in 1989 and reached billionaire status by 2000, earning recognition as the first Black female billionaire.
Her fortune is currently estimated at about $3.4 billion, built through television, production, business investments and other media ventures.
She expanded her empire further by launching the Oprah Winfrey Network, widely known as OWN, in 2011.
