Carol Burnett's Real Name: Carol Creighton Burnett

Quick answer: Carol Burnett's full name is Carol Creighton Burnett. She was born on April 26, 1933, in San Antonio, Texas. Carol Burnett is her real name, and Creighton is her middle name. The comedian and actress starred in CBS's The Carol Burnett Show (1967–79), won six Emmys, and received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2013 (Library of Congress; Britannica).

Real name and early life

The Library of Congress name authority files her as "Burnett, Carol." One citation reads "b. April 26, 1933 in San Antonio, Texas, USA as Carol Creighton Burnett." Britannica gives the same date and birthplace.

Britannica says Burnett grew up during the Great Depression and spent many hours in movie theaters, where she developed a love of film and a desire to act. She studied acting at UCLA in the 1950s and discovered that she could make audiences laugh. In 1955 a mysterious benefactor who enjoyed her work lent her the money to move to New York City.

Career highlights

In New York she found television work on the Winchell-Mahoney Show and then on the short-lived sitcom Stanley, playing the girlfriend of Buddy Hackett's character. A 1956 guest spot with Garry Moore on CBS led to a regular role on The Garry Moore Show in 1959. That same year she earned a Tony nomination for the Broadway musical Once upon a Mattress. In 1961 she won an Emmy for her work with Moore.

The Carol Burnett Show debuted on CBS in 1967 and ran until 1979, long after most variety shows had faded. Her cast included Harvey Korman, Lyle Waggoner, Vicki Lawrence, and later Tim Conway. Each episode opened with Burnett answering audience questions. It closed with her theme song, "It's Time to Say Goodbye," and a tug on her left ear, which Britannica explains was a signal to her grandmother. Recurring sketches included Mrs. Wiggins and Mr. Tudball and the family sketches with Eunice, Ed, and Mama. Those characters were later spun off into Mama's Family.

On film she appeared in Pete 'n' Tillie (1972), The Four Seasons (1981), and Annie (1982), playing Miss Hannigan in Annie. She earned an Emmy nomination for the dramatic TV movie Friendly Fire (1979). Her guest roles included Mad About You, Desperate Housewives, and Glee. Her memoir One More Time (1986) was adapted for Broadway as Hollywood Arms. She later wrote This Time Together (2010) and Carrie and Me (2013).

Name notes for searchers

Carol is her given first name, Creighton her middle name, and Burnett her family surname. She has always performed under her own name. Her famous ear tug is a gesture, not part of a stage persona or alias.