Of all the mysteries surrounding Michael Jackson’s three children, both before and since his death, the origin of the name of his daughter Paris has remained among the most clueless — up until now.

A month after the “Thriller” singer’s sudden demise, socialite Paris Hilton has laid claim to being the inspiration behind the naming of Jackson’s 11-year-old daughter.

Paris Hilton told celebrity TV show “Extra” that her family were close friends with Jackson. Her mother, Kathy, went to school with him for a while in California “and they were best friends since they were 13.”

“So I grew up knowing Michael very well and when he had his daughter, he always loved the name Paris and grew up being an uncle to me. So he asked my mom if it was okay, and of course she said ‘yes’ and I think she’s such a beautiful little girl and I’m proud we have the same name,” Hilton told Extra.

Kathy Hilton is the same age as Michael (50) and was one of the close family and friends who were invited to the singer’s public memorial in Los Angeles earlier this month. Paris made her comments while promoting her documentary “Paris, Not France”, which gets an airing on MTV next week.

But was Paris Jackson really named after Paris Hilton? And does the 11-year-old  know? If she was, then that solves one of the many mysteries surrounding the King of Pop. But now the question is, who was Blanket named for?

Having a behind-the-scenes celebrity mom isn’t something Paris Hilton or her sister Nicky would know much about. Their mom, Kathy, seems to relish the  spotlight as much as her girls.

Having recently launched her own perfume and starred in a Web mini-series called “A Day With the Hiltons,” the 49-year-old Kathy Hilton has now nudged her way into Hollywood movies with a cameo appearance in Ben Stiller’s new summer comedy “Tropic Thunder,” playing Tom Cruise’s wife, according to In Touch Weekly.  

“She filmed last winter and didn’t even tell her kids because she wanted to surprise them,” a set insider told the celebrity magazine. “She raved about Tom,” said the insider. 

After filming “Tropic Thunder,” Kathy Hilton also shot a few episodes of daytime TV soap opera, “The Young and The Restless.” The older Hilton has been a sometime actress for years but not winning the same success as her girls. A reality TV show she hosted in 2005 called “I Want To Be A Hilton” flopped.

Barron Hilton, the 18-year-old brother of actress Paris Hilton and member of the family that founded the Hilton Hotels chain, has recieved three years probation stemming from his drunken driving arrest back in February in the posh seaside community of Malibu, California.

That’s Barron at the far left of this picture with his mom Kathy, dad Rick and Paris at far right. 

Hilton must also pay $2,000 in fines and attend three alchohol education programs. He agreed to plead no contest to one charge of driving under the influence and one charge of unlawful use of a license. He will lose his driving privileges for a year,  a spokeswoman for the District Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles said on Wednesday.

Two other misdemeanor charges — one for DUI and a second for being an unlicensed driver — were dropped.

Hilton spent about nine hours in jail on Feb. 12 after he was arrested by Malibu police. Witnesses claimed Hilton was driving a Mercedes-Benz erratically before he pulled into a gas station. Hilton’s blood-alcohol level was estimated at .14 percent, or nearly
twice the legal limit of .08 percent.

The Hilton family’s wealth and lifestyle have brought them massive media attention over the years, and Paris, like her brother, has also run into trouble with local law enforcement. She spent 23 days in jail last year for violating her probation in connection with a reckless driving case.