Keke Palmer Would Love to Use Her Real Name ‘More Than Anything’

If you’ve been paying attention, you know who Keke Palmer is. The Internet has lovingly nicknamed the multi-talented entertainer Keke “Keep A Job” Palmer because of her expansive resume. Palmer started in the entertainment industry at a very young age and has made quite the name for herself in Hollywood. She is an accomplished actor, singer, and host. Furthermore, she has inspired quite a few hilarious memes. And she’s done all of this without ever using her real name.

What is Keke Palmer’s real name?

Though the world knows Palmer as Keke, that’s not actually her real name. Like many actors, the Nope star utilizes a stage name. This means that all of her professional work will be credited to her moniker. However, the Jump In! star’s legal full name is actually Lauren Keyana Palmer. So why did she decide to use Keke instead of her legal name?

Why doesn’t the ‘Nope’ actor use her legal name, Lauren?

Since Palmer has been going by Keke for years, many people assumed that was her preference. However, recently, Palmer revealed that she’d actually like to return to using her real name. In an interview with Glamour, the True Jackson, VP alum revealed that she’d love it if people started calling her Lauren. She also explained how she got her stage name to begin with.

“I actually don’t prefer to go by Keke instead of Lauren,” Palmer explained. “The only people that called me Keke” were people in my family. Then one day, my manager at that time heard my mom call me Keke because I wasn’t listening.”

After hearing her nickname, the manager suggested that the “I Don’t Belong to You” singer use Keke professionally “He said, ‘That should be your stage name,'” Palmer revealed. “So it went from being just something that my family called me, to being something that the whole world called me. And more than anything,” she added, “I would love to go back to Lauren.”

How did Keke Palmer get her name?

But where did Keke come from, to begin with? Most of Palmer’s fans believe that it’s a shortened form of the actor’s middle name. However, that’s not actually the case. In a separate interview with Wired, Palmer set the record straight.

“My real name is Lauren,” she shared. “A lot of people think, ’cause my full name is Lauren Keyana Palmer. and they’re like, ‘Oh, that’s where Keke from.’ Wrong. I actually hate when people credit Keyana for Keke because, actually, Keke should be credited for Keyana.”

Continuing on, Palmer revealed the truth about her moniker. “My sister had an imaginary friend named Keke, and that’s how I got the nickname,” she clarified. “And that’s what informed my full name, Lauren Keyana Palmer, because my mom thought I needed a name that sounded like real chill so I’d get a job. And then I ended up going by Keke Palmer anyway, so that’s a little funny.”