American media personality and business mogul Kim Kardashian has revealed why she decided to modify her name in 2007, ahead of the debut of her family reality TV series, Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
In an interview with Time, Kim explained that she originally went by her full name, Kimberly Kardashian, but felt it was too long and not as catchy for television. According to her, the decision to shorten it was influenced by how her name appeared on screen during preparations for the show.
“I used to always go by Kimberly until we signed on to do the reality show. When I looked at my chyron, ‘Kimberly Kardashian,’ I thought it was so long for people to say. I was like, let’s just shorten it to Kim,” she said.
Despite the global recognition she now enjoys as “Kim,” the reality star admitted she still hasn’t completely adjusted to the name change. She noted that people who knew her before fame, including longtime friends and family members, continue to call her Kimberly.
“It’s so weird, because all my friends from high school and growing up, and my dad, everyone calls me Kimberly,” she added.
