Kim Kardashian Reveals the Reason She Changed Her Name Before She Became Famous

Fans know her as Kim Kardashian, but the reality star went by a different name before exploding into fame.

“I used to always go by Kimberly, until we signed on to do the reality show,” Kardashian, 45, told Time on Thursday, December 4, referring to E!’s Keeping Up With the Kardashians, which ran from 2007 to 2021.

“And when I looked at my chyron, Kimberly Kardashian, I said, ‘I think that’s so long for people to say,’” added Kardashian. “And like,’Let’s just shorten it to Kim.’ And it’s so weird, because all my friends from high school and growing up, and my dad, everyone calls me Kimberly.”

Kardashian, whose full legal name is Kimberly Noel Kardashian, knows her moniker is good business.

On Thursday, December 4, the TV personality launched her first Master Class titled: “The New Rules of Business” featuring 10 “Kimmandments” such as, “Know your worth and add tax,” “Empires are built before dawn” and “Don’t follow the feed, be the feed.”

Kardashian’s other ventures — Skims (originally “Kimono”) and the former SKKN by Kim and KKW Beauty — were branded with a play on her name.

The All’s Fair star also put creativity into the names of some of her children — North, 12, Saint, 9, Chicago, 7, Psalm, 6 — whom she shares with ex-husband Kanye West.

When naming Psalm, Kardashian revealed that she leaned on sisters Kylie Jenner and Kendall Jenner for unconventional inspiration.

“Kylie and I were vibing on the same name,” Kardashian told LIVE with Kelly and Ryan (now called LIVE with Kelly and Mark) during an appearance in September 2019. “So Kendall and I, I have this big hallway and you can hear down the hallway, so we were screaming out every name, like, ‘Psalm! Get over here!’”