The Real Reason Jean Harlow Changed Her Name

History states that the actress was born Harlean Carpenter in 1911 to her mother, who was herself named Jean Harlow. In fact, her birth name is an amalgam of her mother's name. According to The Sunday Post, Harlow's mother dreamt of becoming a star. When she and Harlow's father divorced, she packed up her daughter and left Kansas City for Hollywood. However, the elder Harlow was 34 and was considered too mature for an acting career and the family headed back to the Midwest (via Country Living). When the daughter married and permanently moved back to Los Angeles, she told Fox executives that her name was Jean Harlow.

Ultimately, Closer Weekly states that Harlow decided to become an actress to make her mother's dreams come true. Darrell Rooney, co-author of "Harlow in Hollywood: The Blonde Bombshell in the Glamour Capital" told the publication that "Jean loved her mother deeply and would do anything for her." Harlow's website explains that she legally changed her name from Harlean Carpenter to Jean Harlow in 1935 in order to elevate her career.

From then on, her mother was referred to as "Mother Jean," while Harlow's family and friends called her "The Baby" (per Country Living). Per "Hollywood V. Beauty and the Synchronicity of the Six," "Mother Jean" was domineering and controlled every aspect of her daughter's life and career. She pushed her daughter to star in film after film. Find a Grave reports that she even signed Harlow's fan mail. At Harlow's expense, Mother Jean lived vicariously through her daughter until the end.