Tyra Banks Shares The Evolution of Her Name

Tyra Banks was almost given a different name. While serving as a guest co-host on the April 15 episode of TODAY with Jenna & Friends, Banks said her mom almost named her Kelly before she decided on the supermodel's moniker. "My mom named me Tyra.

My grandmother named me, but it was Tyra, and it had, like, five more syllables after it. My mom's like, 'I like the first part,' but my mom told me that she was going to name me Kelly Banks," she explained. "And I wonder if I was Kelly Banks, what would I be?" Banks joked that the name sounded like a cheerleader's name and she said she even had a Barbie doll named.



.. Joyann Jeffrey.