
Actress/singer Keke Palmer had a pretty good 2014. Her talk show Just Keke premiered on BET in June (she’s now the youngest talk show host in TV history) and she became Broadway’s first black Cinderella in September.
She was born a Lauren, but has always gone by the nickname “Keke.” Here’s the story:
“When I was little, my sister was about four years old, and she had an imaginary friend named Keke. And she wanted my name to be Keke. And first, my mom was like, ‘You know, I don’t think that’s a good idea because she may grow up and want a more professional sounding name.’ So she named me Lauren Keyana Palmer, but ever since then, everybody’s called me Keke,” she said.
Keke Palmer has been in the public eye for many years, and yet the baby name Keke remains a rarity. (It hasn’t been on an SSA list in nearly 2 decades.) Do you think Keke’s new talk show and her notable stint on Broadway were enough to give her name a boost last year?

P.S. Just for the record, Keke has influenced the baby name charts before. The movie Akeelah and the Bee, which starred Keke, inspired hundreds of parents to name their baby girls Akeelah in 2006.
Sources: Keke Palmer – Wikipedia, Meet Broadway’s First Black Cinderella! 7 Things to Know About Keke Palmer, SSA
Top image: Screenshot of Just Keke
Funnily, Keke is a male name to me due to Keke Rosberg (Formula 1 Racing car driver). Watch out for male Keke’s, too.
Interesting! Makes me wonder how common “Keke” is in Finland. (Here’s Keke Rosberg’s Wikipedia page.)