Jennifer Poux - Zendaya

Lets get something straight: Its pronounced Zen-DAY-uh. Not Zen-DIE-uh.

And dont bother with a last name. She has oneits Coleman. But she doesnt use it, professionally at least. Why just the one name, you ask?

I just thought it was cool, like Cher or Prince, Zendaya told Allure.

Cool could be Zendayas middle nameits a word people often use to describe her. But her parents arent that cruel. She was born Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman. Her name is a road map to her complex heritage, which is really cool. Zendayas father was born Samuel David Coleman but took an African name, Kazembe Ajamu, reflecting his ancestry. Zendayas mom, Claire Marie Stoermer, is of German, Scottish, and other European heritage.

I get like a mixture of all the worlds, she told Us Weekly. She has an African first name. And her middle name is Frenchlikes her moms middle namebut with an African spelling. Im proud of the fact that I know where Im from.

The name Zendaya comes from the Shona word tendai, which means to give thanks or be grateful, and her dads love of the letter Z. (Shona is a Bantu language of the Shona people of Zimbabwe.)

Zendaya is gaining household-name status as the actor makes her mark in television and film. But she wasnt always famous. Celebrities start out like the rest of usordinary, unknown babies. In Zendayas case, maybe her parents had a premonition that she would be famous someday and might need a slammin name.

But she had a pretty unremarkable childhoodat least in the early years. Zendaya was born on September 1, 1996, in Oakland, California. (She says she lived in a not-so-amazing neighborhood.) She has five half-brothers and -sisters, but shes the only child of Claire and Kazembe. She was born an aunt: An older sibling already had kids when she came into the world. So she has an older niece and nephew. Awkward! And some younger ones, too.

Heres the SCOOP! Zendaya says her grandparents had her colors read when she was still a toddler. Her aura is purple, which means creative. The guy who did the reading told them Zendaya was going to amaze them their whole lives. That prediction came true!

Back when she was just a regular Oakland kid with a first and last name, Zendayas parents were teachers and her mom was also the house manager at a local theater, the California Shakespeare Theater in Orinda. Zendaya spent loads of time there. And thats where a little girl got the big idea that she might want to be an actor.

The catch? She was a truly shy kid. Her fans wont be surprised by that info. Zendaya is pretty open about her personality and her proclivity to spend coveted free time at home watching Harry Potter movies and crime documentaries.

Her shyness could be somewhat debilitating when she was a kid. I wouldnt try anything, Zendaya admits. I always had this fear of failing and not doing so well.

Heres a double SCOOP! Zendaya was so shy as a kid that her parents had her repeat kindergarten!

Tbh, its not that unusual for actors and singers to be shy kids. Sometimes people who get nervous around other people or are introverted by nature feel more comfortable onstage, performing. Zendaya calls herself introverted to this day. The introverted-actor thing makes sense if you think about it. Theres a separation between you and the audience. And youre playing the part of a characterthe stage lets you be someone else. Theres relief in that if you sometimes find it difficult to be yourself.

Whatever she was experiencing offstage, Zendaya liked to be on it. Her first role was in a production of James and the Giant Peach. She was bummed when they cast her as a speechless silkworm. But then, in true Zendaya fashion, she committedgiving her tiny part everything she had. I was the best silkworm ever, she says in MTVs The Story of Zendaya. And the cutest!

Like so many actors and singers, Zendaya got started early. There were plays, and theater workshops, and modeling for stores like Macys. And then came the Disney audition that changed everything. (More on that later!) But unlike a lot of child actors, Zendaya has managed (so far) to maintain a scandal-free life. On her show in 2016, Ellen asked Zendaya how shes avoided that clich.

I gotta give it up to my parents. Im really lucky to have the parents that I have and they just have always instilled in me those core values that I think I have to carry with me through everything.

The more you get to know her, the more you get the impression shes a genuinely nice person with a sense of humility, a woman with her feet firmly planted in the ground and a good head on her shoulders, speaking of clichs.

THE SCOOP! DEETS:

BORN: September. 1, 1996

BIRTHPLACE: Oakland, CA

BIRTH NAME: Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman

SIGN: Virgo

PARENTS: Claire Marie Stoermer and Kazembe Ajamu (born Samuel David Coleman)

SIBLINGS: Five older half siblings on dads side

DOG: Noon, a miniature schnauzer

CULINARY PREFERENCE: Vegetarian

HEIGHT: 5'10"

INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS: 64 million

STYLIST: Law Roach

Bottom line: She wasnt a spoiled kid, and she hasnt turned into a spoiled adult. When asked by Vogues 73 Questions how she would describe her childhood, Zendaya simply said, Real. Kudos to Claire and Kazembe for that, and kudos to Zendaya for keeping it real.