I am fairly certain that all the explanations of Whoopie Goldberg’s name discussed above are wrong. And of course, ujm’s story is wronger than most. Was he trying to be funny or factual? He/she is not good at either.
As for her given name, Caryn, how ironic – “Karen” is slang for an annoying white woman who considers herself entitled to special privileges and likes to complain about black people.