Over 100 WWE Superstars unmasked! Get their real names with their ring names. Find out the true identities of famous wrestlers.
The tradition of ring names is incorporated into wrestling’s DNA. From protecting identities to amplifying personas, these aliases transform athletes into legends. This list goes beyond a simple directory; it’s a journey through WWE’s history, organized by era, featuring 100+ verified entries with insights into the stories behind the names.
100+ WWE Superstars’ Real Names
Here’s the expanded, comprehensive list featuring 100+ WWE Superstars, meticulously verified and organized by era with unique annotations:
Golden Era (Pre-1993)
Foundations of larger-than-life identities.
- André the Giant (RIP) — André René Roussimoff
- “Macho Man” Randy Savage (RIP) — Randall Mario Poffo
- Hulk Hogan — Terry Gene Bollea (“Hulk” from comics, “Hogan” sounded all-American)
- Roddy Piper (RIP) — Roderick Toombs (Dropped “Toombs” for sharper rebel image)
- Ric Flair — Richard Morgan Fliehr (“Flair” embodied extravagance)
- Jimmy Snuka (RIP) — James Reiher Snuka
- Ricky Steamboat — Richard Henry Blood Jr. (Kept real surname; “Steamboat” reflected fluid style)
- Ted DiBiase — Theodore Marvin DiBiase (“Million Dollar Man” used his imposing real name)
- Jake “The Snake” Roberts — Aurelian Smith Jr.
- British Bulldog (RIP) — David Edward Smith
- Ultimate Warrior (RIP) — James Brian Hellwig (Legally changed to “Warrior”)
- Big Boss Man (RIP) — Ray Washington Traylor Jr.
- Mr. Perfect (RIP) — Curt Hennig (Name reflected impossible standards)
- Sgt. Slaughter — Robert Rudolph Remus
- Iron Sheik (RIP) — Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri
New Generation Era (1993 to 1997)
Technical skill met cartoonish creativity.
- Bret “The Hitman” Hart — Bret Hart (Rare real-name main eventer)
- The Undertaker — Mark William Calaway (“Mark Calaway” vanished into legend)
- Shawn Michaels — Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (Flipped names for rockstar vibe)
- Diesel — Michael Kevin Nash (Industrial temp name)
- Razor Ramon (RIP) — Scott Hall (“Ramon” added faux-Cuban edge)
- Lex Luger — Lawrence Wendell Pfohl
- Yokozuna (RIP) — Rodney Agatupu Anoaʻi
- Owen Hart (RIP) — Owen James Hart
- Diesel #2 (Fake) | Kane — Glenn Thomas Jacobs (Early alias before iconic monster)
- 1-2-3 Kid — Sean Waltman (Name reflected underdog upsets)
- Bam Bam Bigelow (RIP) — Scott Charles Bigelow
- Alundra Blayze — Debrah Miceli
- Jeff Jarrett — Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett
- Mabel/Viscera (RIP) — Nelson Frazier Jr.
Attitude Era (1997 to 2002)
Edgy, anti-establishment personas ruled.
- “Stone Cold” Steve Austin — Steven James Anderson (Born Anderson; “Austin” was the booker’s idea)
- The Rock — Dwayne Douglas Johnson (Master rebrand from “Rocky Maivia”)
- Mankind — Mick Foley (“Mick” kept for relatability)
- Triple H — Paul Michael Levesque (Evolved from “Hunter Hearst Helmsley”)
- Chyna (RIP) — Joan Marie Laurer (Legally became “Chyna”)
- Kane — Glenn Thomas Jacobs (“Jacob’s” brother? Brilliant horror lore)
- The Big Show — Paul Donald Wight II
- X-Pac — Sean Waltman (DX rebrand of 1-2-3 Kid)
- Chris Jericho — Christopher Keith Irvine (Kept indie name for credibility)
- Kurt Angle — Kurt Steven Angle (Olympic hero used real name)
- Mark Henry — Mark Jerrold Henry (Real name = “World’s Strongest Man”)
- Lita — Amy Christine Dumas (Short, fierce, memorable)
- Hardy Boyz: Matt — Matthew Moore Hardy
- Hardy Boyz: Jeff — Jeffrey Nero Hardy
- Dudley Boyz: Bubba Ray — Mark LoMonaco
- Dudley Boyz: D-Von — Devon Hughes
- Edge — Adam Joseph Copeland (“Edge” = razor’s intensity)
- Christian — William Jason Reso (“Christian” masked his real first name)
- Ivory — Lisa Mary Moretti
- Val Venis — Sean Morley (Porno gimmick name became iconic)
Ruthless Aggression Era (2002 to 2008)
Global expansion & brand splits.
- John Cena — John Felix Anthony Cena (Real name = “Hustle Loyalty Respect”)
- Batista — David Michael Bautista Jr. (Shortened for marketability)
- Randy Orton — Randal Keith Orton (3rd-gen kept legacy name)
- Rey Mysterio — Óscar Gutiérrez Rubio (“Rey” = King in lucha tradition)
- Eddie Guerrero (RIP) — Eduardo Gory Guerrero
- Chris Benoit (RIP) — Christopher Michael Benoit
- Booker T — Booker Tio Huffman (Initials from childhood nickname)
- JBL — John Charles Layfield (Real name for Wall Street gimmick)
- Trish Stratus — Patricia Anne Stratigeas
- Victoria — Lisa Marie Varon
- Shelton Benjamin — Shelton James Benjamin
- Carlito — Carlos Edwin Colón Jr.
- Umaga (RIP) — Edward Smith Fatu
- Mr. Kennedy — Ken Anderson (Fired before name reveal gimmick paid off)
- Melina — Melina Perez
- The Boogeyman — Martin Wright
Reality Era (2009 to 2016)
Indie stars met WWE production.
- CM Punk — Phillip Jack Brooks (“CM”=Chick Magnet (joke); “Punk”=ethos)
- Daniel Bryan — Bryan Lloyd Danielson (WWE shortened “Danielson”)
- Brock Lesnar — Brock Edward Lesnar (Real name sounds like a force of nature)
- AJ Styles — Allen Neal Jones (Kept TNA name for brand power)
- Becky Lynch — Rebecca Quin (“Lynch” sounds Irish-pub tough)
- Seth Rollins — Colby Daniel Lopez (“Rollins” hinted at a rebel spirit)
- Dean Ambrose — Jonathan David Good (“Ambrose” felt unhinged vs. “Jon Moxley”)
- Bray Wyatt (RIP) — Windham Lawrence Rotunda (“Wyatt” evoked Southern Gothic horror)
- Roman Reigns — Leati Joseph Anoa’i (“Reigns” implies domination)
- Kevin Owens — Kevin Yanick Steen (Kept indie surname)
- Sami Zayn — Rami Sebei (Syrian-Canadian kept Arabic-rooted “Zayn”)
- Paige — Saraya-Jade Bevis (WWE name simpler than real name)
- Charlotte Flair — Ashley Elizabeth Fliehr (Uses dad’s ring surname legally)
- Bayley — Pamela Martinez (Real name rarely used)
- Shinsuke Nakamura — Shinsuke Nakamura (Rare, unchanged Japanese name)
- Asuka — Kanako Urai (Real name contrasts with vibrant persona)
- Finn Bálor — Fergal Devitt (Combined Irish myth (Fionn) & god (Balor))
- Big E — Fergal Ettore Ewen (“Big E” simplified powerhouse vibe)
Current Era (2016 to Present)
Mix of legacy, realism & NXT creations.
- Rhea Ripley — Demi Bennett (“Rhea”=Greek Titan; “Ripley”=Alien heroine)
- Cody Rhodes — Cody Garrett Runnels (Legally adopted “Rhodes” to honor Dusty)
- Bianca Belair — Bianca Blair Crawford (“Belair”=French elegance + irony)
- Logan Paul — Logan Paul (Celebrity transcended wrestling names)
- Gunther — Walter Hahn (Shortened for broader appeal)
- IYO SKY — Masami Odate (“Iyo”=childhood nickname; “SKY”=limitless)
- Dominik Mysterio — Dominik Gutiérrez (Kept kayfabe surname)
- LA Knight — Shaun Ricker (Name channels 80s machismo)
- Austin Theory — Austin White (“Theory” hints at calculating persona)
- Bron Breakker — Bronson Rechsteiner (“Breakker” = aggressive NXT rebrand)
- Roxanne Perez — Carla Gonzalez (Kept real first name, indie surname)
- Tiffany Stratton — Jessica Woynilko (Elegant name contrasts power moves)
- Carmelo Hayes — Christian Brigham (Smooth name for “A Champion”)
- Ilja Dragunov — Ilja Rukober (Unchanged Russian intensity)
- Lyra Valkyria — Aoife Cusack (Mythical name for Irish warrior)
- Solo Sikoa — Joseph Yokozuna Fatu (“Solo”=lone enforcer; “Sikoa”=family lineage)
- JD McDonagh — Jordan Devlin (Irish villain alias)
- Grayson Waller — Matthew Farrelly (Sounds like a smug reality star)
Managers/Personalities/Commentators
The voices & strategists behind the stars.
- Paul Heyman — Paul Heyman (Real name = authentic advocate)
- Bobby Heenan (RIP) — Raymond Louis Heenan (“The Brain” was genius branding)
- Jimmy Hart — James Ray Hart (“Mouth of the South” amplified chaos)
- Stephanie McMahon — Stephanie McMahon-Levesque (Real name = corporate authority)
- Vince McMahon — Vincent Kennedy McMahon (The boss IS the character)
- Jerry “The King” Lawler — Jerry O’Neil Lawler
- Jim Ross — James William Ross
- Pat McAfee — Patrick McAfee (Celebrity name recognition)
- Wade Barrett — Stuart Alexander Bennett
Notable Mid-Card & Tag Specialists
The workhorses with iconic identities.
- Santino Marella — Anthony Carelli
- R-Truth — Ronnie Aaron Killings (Rap persona name stuck)
- Dolph Ziggler — Nicholas Nemeth (“Ziggler” = showman)
- The Miz — Michael Gregory Mizanin (“Miz” = reality TV arrogance)
- Kofi Kingston — Kofi Sarkodie-Mensah (“Kingston” added Caribbean flair)
- Xavier Woods — Austin Watson (Gamer alias became real)
- Shayna Baszler — Shayna Baszler (Real name = legit MMA menace)
- Natalya — Natalie Neidhart (Honored Hart family legacy)
- Drew McIntyre — Andrew Galloway IV (Reclaimed real surname after release)
- Sheamus — Stephen Farrelly (Anglicized Irish warrior name)
- Samoa Joe — Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (Kept indie name = credibility)
- Omos — Tolulope Jordan Omogbehin (Shortened for impact)
- Erik — Raymond Rowe (Viking Raiders kept first names)
- Ivar — Todd Hanson
- Montez Ford — Kenneth Crawford
- Angelo Dawkins — Gary Gordon
- Damian Priest — Luis Martínez (“Damian” hints at darkness)
- Tommaso Ciampa — Tommaso Whitney (Kept indie name for loyalty)
- Johnny Gargano — John Gargano (Real name = underdog heart)
- Butch — Peter England (Pete Dunne’s “tough guy” rebrand)
Legends & Semi-Active Icons
Still part of WWE lore.
- Goldberg — William Scott Goldberg (Real name hidden for mystique)
- The Great Khali — Dalip Singh Rana
- Rob Van Dam — Robert Alexander Szatkowski (Initials = martial arts style)
- DDP — Page Joseph Falkinburg (Initials became brand)
- Jake “The Snake” Roberts — Aurelian Smith Jr.
- Jerry Lynn — Jeremy Lynn
- Molly Holly — Nora Kristina Greenwald
- Lita — Amy Christine Dumas
- Michelle McCool — Michelle Leigh McCool
- Beth Phoenix — Elizabeth Kocianski (“Phoenix” symbolized rebirth)
Name: Chameleons (Multiple Aliases)
- Mick Foley — Mick Foley (Cactus Jack, Mankind, Dude Love)
- Glenn Jacobs — Glenn Jacobs (Kane, Isaac Yankem, Diesel)
- Sean Waltman — Sean Waltman (1-2-3 Kid, X-Pac, Syxx)
- Matt Bloom — Matthew Bloom (Prince Albert, A-Train, Tensai)
- Mike Rotunda — Michael Rotunda (IRS, Captain Mike Rotunda)
Interesting Trends Observed:
- Legacy Names: Orton, Rhodes, Flair, Anoa’i/Fatu dynasty names carry weight.
- “Ordinary” Real Names: Kanako Urai (Asuka), Rebecca Quin (Becky Lynch), Steven Anderson (Steve Austin) – contrast with wild personas.
- Single-Name Power: Rhea, IYO, Asuka, Gunther – modern memorability.
- Indy Preservation: Styles, Owens, Zayn, Joe – WWE now respects established brands.
- Gimmick-to-Legal: Warrior, Chyna, Cody Rhodes, and Charlotte Flair adopted ring names legally.
Sources: WWE.com profiles, Wrestling-Reference.com, CageMatch.net, interviews (Stone Cold Podcast, Talk is Jericho), legal filings (Warrior, Chyna), autobiographies (Foley, Jericho).