Raven-Symoné recently shared her complex feelings regarding her name during an episode of her podcast, “Tea Time w/ Raven & Miranda.” The discussion, co-hosted with her wife, Miranda Maday, included insights about her name that may surprise fans. The 39-year-old actor expressed discomfort when fans shorten her name to “Raven,” revealing that it can trigger negative memories from her past.
During the episode, which featured guest Tish Cyrus, Maday inquired if Raven-Symoné appreciated her full name, Raven-Symoné Christina Pearman-Maday. The actor responded with a laugh, saying, “Yes and no.” She then elaborated on her feelings, stating, “I’m going to be honest. Sometimes I have a problem when people call me Raven. (That) tends to, like, trigger me a little bit from my time being called Raven.”
Raven-Symoné gained fame for her role as Raven Baxter on the popular Disney Channel sitcom “That’s So Raven,” which aired from 2003 to 2007. She later reprised the role in the spinoff series “Raven’s Home,” running from 2017 to 2023.
In a candid moment, she revealed that close friends often refer to her by a shortened version of her middle name, calling her “Chris.” She explained, “If we’re in a big, open area and there’s a lot of people, I’ll be like, ‘Do not call me Raven in public. Call me Chris.’” This highlights the personal nature of her name and the memories attached to it.
Raven-Symoné also shared that her family has always used different nicknames. While she was known as Raven-Symoné to the public, her parents called her “Ray,” and her brother referred to her as “Reva.” This distinction illustrates the difference between her public persona and her private life.
In 2023, Raven-Symoné addressed the ongoing confusion surrounding her name’s pronunciation in a TikTok video. She clarified that her name is pronounced “See-mon-ye,” with an emphasis on the accent over the final “e.” In the caption, she stated, “Those who know…KNOW…”
Reflecting on her childhood, she explained why she did not correct the pronunciation during her early years on the Disney Channel. “Now, I didn’t do that because at a very young age I was told to tell everyone that my name was Raven-Symoné, and it just never left my body,” she shared. “Except when I go to French-speaking countries, I’m like, ‘Yeah, it is spelled that way and that’s how it should be pronounced.’”
Despite her preference for the correct pronunciation, Raven-Symoné noted that she does not feel bothered by how the public continues to say her name. She reassured fans, “Coming here to where I’m living, Raven-Symoné is just fine. I don’t trip over it. I don’t correct people. But the correct spelling of my name is pronounced ‘Raven-Symoné,’ but you can call me Raven-Symoné.”
Through this conversation, Raven-Symoné reinforces the impact of names and the personal histories they carry, providing a glimpse into her life beyond the public eye.
