Whenever celebrities are known by a mononym, such as Beyoncé, it’s understandable to think that they aren’t referred to by any other names. Oftentimes, these are either stage names or nicknames, used by musicians, actors, or other celebrities. In Zendaya‘s case, not many people are aware that Zendaya is her actual name, but she does in fact have a surname.
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And no, Zendaya’s name isn’t just “Zendaya.” The 27-year-old’s full legal name is Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman and her forename derives from the Shona name Tendai (meaning “to give thanks”). Born to teachers Claire Stoermer and Kazembe Ajamu Coleman, she has five older siblings. Zendaya’s father is African-American with Nigerian ancestry, whereas her mother has German and Scottish ancestry.
Interestingly, the surname “Coleman” is of Irish and English origin. With British roots, It comes from the Old English word col, meaning “charcoal,” and was originally an occupational name for a “burner of charcoal.” As in, ‘cole’ (coal) and ‘man’ — coal man.
Zendaya began her career as a child model, then rose to prominence with her role as Rocky Blue in the Disney Channel series Shake It Up. She has since garnered international fame for her portrayal of MJ in Marvel’s Spider-Man reboot trilogy, starring her real-life boyfriend Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man.
When asked about the choice to drop her last name, the actress told Allure back in December 2016 that she simply liked the sound of the one-word stage name better. “I [dropped my last name because I] just thought it was cool, like Cher or Prince,” she explained.
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