Olivia Munn recently opened up about the decision behind her daughter’s name, Mei June, during an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

While promoting her new Apple TV+ series Your Friends & Neighbors, the 44-year-old actress reflected on the unique and somewhat humorous story behind the name choice.

The Unexpected Origin of “Mei June”

Munn revealed that her decision to name her daughter after her mother wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed.

According to the actress, the name came about after an unusual conversation with her mother, Dung Kim Schmid, during a car ride.

“My daughter’s name is Mei, with an accent over the ‘E,’ which means plum in Chinese,” Munn explained.

“And we were thinking about what the middle name should be.”

Out of the blue, Munn’s mother casually mentioned that people call her “June.”

This comment sparked a chain of events that led to the name Mei June.

Munn recounted, “My mom just says out of nowhere, ‘You know, people call me June.’

“I asked when that happens, and she said, ‘Oh, a lot of people call me June. It’s the Americanized version of Dung.'”

The conversation took a humorous turn when Munn realized that her mother’s middle name was actually Kim, not June, but she went along with it.

“Okay,” Munn said, accepting her mom’s claim without questioning it further.

John Mulaney’s Influence and Family Reactions

When Munn discussed the name with her husband, comedian John Mulaney, he thought it would be a beautiful way to honor Munn’s mother.

“That would be such a pretty name,” Mulaney suggested.

“Why don’t we name her Mei June?” Munn agreed, thinking it was a great idea at the time.

However, when the baby arrived, Munn shared the news with her family, revealing that her daughter had been named Mei June after her mother.

The reaction from her mom, however, was less than enthusiastic.

“I asked my mom what she thought about the name, and she said, ‘It’s okay,'” Munn recalled.

“I was like, ‘Wait, what? Do you like it?’ And she said, ‘It’s okay.'”

In that moment, Munn began to question the whole naming decision, especially when her mom suggested a different name.

“I was thinking about naming her Mei Estelle,” Munn admitted.

“Maybe I should just do that.” But her mom’s response stunned the audience: “You should change it.”

The Truth Behind the Name “June”

As Munn reflected on the situation, it dawned on her why her mother had brought up the name June in the first place.

Her mother, who loves to talk, often tells long stories—sometimes even about how little she talks.

“I realized she just wanted to talk that day, so she came up with this story about how people called her June, when in reality, no one ever did,” Munn laughed.

Eventually, Munn confronted her mom, asking, “Mom, I think I know what happened. Did you just make up this story about being called June so you could talk?”

Her mother responded nonchalantly, “Yes, people call me June.”

When asked when that had happened, her mom replied, “In 1987, two women called me June.”

In the end, Munn decided to stick with the name Mei June, but with a humorous twist.

“I’m not changing it,” she said. “It’s kind of in honor of my mom, but I hope my daughter doesn’t grow up to be as big a liar.”

A New Thanksgiving Tradition?

Munn also shared a quirky new tradition that her mom introduced during their Thanksgiving celebrations.

Apparently, her mother had insisted that it was a long-standing family tradition to give a baby a drumstick during their first Thanksgiving.

“My mom told John, ‘In my family, for every baby’s first Thanksgiving, we give them a drumstick,'” Munn explained.

Mulaney was intrigued, but Munn was skeptical.

“I called my siblings, and they said, ‘No, that’s a lie. That’s not true,'” she laughed.

Despite the lack of evidence for this so-called tradition, Munn’s mom persisted.

“No, it’s a tradition. Every Thanksgiving, for everyone’s first Thanksgiving,” she insisted.

The family went along with it, and Munn snapped a picture of her son Malcolm holding the turkey leg.

“My mom gets the turkey leg, puts it in Malcolm’s hand, pats it, and says, ‘Okay, a new tradition,'” Munn said.

The moment became yet another funny anecdote in the ongoing saga of her mom’s inventive storytelling.