text: what was aunt jemima's real name?   born into slavery in 1834, the woman who would become known to millions as aunt jemima was really named nancy green. she was a warm, friendly woman who also happened to be an excellent cook (though, interestingly enough, the famous aunt jemima pancake recipe wasn't hers. it belonged to a company called the pearl milling company). and it was in 1893 that she was discovered in chicago, at the age of 59, by one r.t. davis.