What’s in a name? In the world of professional wrestling? A lot. A strong ring name can make or break a superstar. It’s up there with athleticism, a great look, and charisma. Nobody would have blinked an eye at Aurelian Smith, but when that man became Jake “The Snake” Roberts, people paid attention. Randy Poffo? Not so much. “Macho Man” Randy Savage? That’s a name that will have the audience saying, “Ooooh Yeah!” These guys knew the importance of ditching the name they were given for a stronger name to match their larger than life personas.

But let’s examine some wrestlers who would have been better off sticking with their real names. The ones whose birth certificates have a much more believable one that what they were given by WWE Creative. Ones that, in their everyday lives, just sound like bad a** guys and gals, but on TV have names that don’t match their impressive physiques and athleticism. Then, to have a little extra fun, we’ll take a look at a few Superstars who have truly god awful real names and are incredibly lucky they were able to get a redo and brand themselves with much cooler and fitting names.

Here are 11 Current WWE Superstars That Have A Better Real-Life Name (And 10 That Don’t).

21 Better: Cesaro (Claudio Castagnoli)

Before he was racking up Tag Team Championships with The Bar and winning more “Most Underrated Awards” than we can count, the man now known as Cesaro was a stand out in the independent scene where he wrestled under his real name, Claudio Castagnoli.

He first made a splash in the states while wrestling for east coast promotions like Chikara, Combat Zone Wrestling, and Ring of Honor where his athleticism and pure strength did not go unnoticed. When he was first signed to WWE, they changed his name to Antonio Cesaro. He would have success under this moniker before they dropped his first name. For some reason, WWE loves wrestlers with one name. But, even with his fake first name, Claudio Castagnoli just sounds better. The alliteration gives his name a power behind it that he currently lacks.

20 Worse: Dean Ambrose (Jon Goode)

Dean Ambrose is such a great name for the lunatic fringe. It’s not quite as good as Jon Moxley, the name he used when he was making a name for himself in Combat Zone Wrestling, Ring of Honor, and Evolve, but it’s still a solid name.

Thankfully, both names that he has chosen to wrestle under are leaps and bounds better than his real name. Jon Goode. Sure, in wrestling we’ve had a Johnny B. Badd, but you have to turn the clock back to 1958 for Johnny B. Goode to be a good wrestling name. That is unless homeboy was going to be doing some sort of time traveling Back to the Future gimmick, but we think Kushida would have something to say about that.

19 Better: Curtis Axel (Joe Hennig)

People have been crying for years for Curtis Axel to honor his family name and go by Joe Hennig. We agree! Although his current name does pay tribute to his father and grandfather (Curt Hennig and Larry “the Axe” Hennig) it should be simpler than that. Joe Hennig would immediately invoke memories of Mr. Perfect and give Axel the boost that he needs. It’s easy to see that he’s an extremely gifted athlete and he shines whenever he’s able to show his charisma as part of the Miztourage, the name change would do wonders for him.

Hey, at least Curtis Axel is a much better name than the god-awful name he used before when he was known as Michael McGillicutty.

18 Worse: Braun Strowman (Adam Scherr)

Braun Strowman is the perfect name for the Monster Among Men. The first name tells you everything you need to know about his brute strength and Strowman just sounds like a big, bruising brawler. We also have to compliment the WWE on their restraint here, they could have easily just called the behemoth Braun Strong-man. It’s always nice when they don’t immediately go for the obvious.

His real name, Adam Scherr doesn’t sound like somebody who is 6-foot-8 and 385-pounds. Adam Scherr sounds like the name of the IT guy at your office. Not somebody who can practically win the Raw Tag Team Titles on his own. No offense to Nicholas, but Braun did the heavy lifting during the WrestleMania match.

17 Better: Triple H (Paul Levesque)

Listen, we all know that Triple H is one of the most legendary wrestlers in the history of the business (just watch literally any special on the WWE Network). That doesn’t mean that his name works. Hunter Hearst Helmsley was a pretty perfect name for the man when he was a blue-blooded Connecticut aristocrat, even Triple H worked when he was a member of D-X and throughout the rest of his active in-ring career.

But today? Not so much, we all know his real name is Paul Levesque and that he is legit the EVP of Talent, Live Events and Creative for WWE, so why not lean into it? It’s a strong name that suits his new career as one of the most powerful men in the industry.

16 Worse: Bayley (Pamela Martinez)

There are two types of Pamelas in the world. Pamela Andersons: knockout bombshell models. And your Aunt Pamelas: ladies who bring their neighbor’s dogs to Thanksgiving dinner. Pamela Martinez is, somehow, neither of these Pamelas. She’s Raw’s resident hugger, one of the most over babyfaces in recent years, and a great in-ring performer to boot. So, Pamela was never the best choice for her ring name.

Bayley is a solid ring name. It short, to the point, and represents the Bay Area, where she comes from. Plus, if she were to have gone by Pamela Martinez, or Pamela, Pammy, or Pam, it would totally have ruined the name of her signature Bayley to Belly Suplex. What would she have used? The Pam-el Clutch? The Chokes-Pam?

15 Better: Hideo Itami (Kenta Kobayashi)

In the early 2000s, New Japan Pro Wrestling wasn’t where all of the fans turned to when they wanted to watch the best matches. The promotion wasn’t doing so well and had lost a lot of eyes to its main rival, Pro Wrestling Noah. One of the main reasons why people were so interested in that company was KENTA (all caps, because he’s awesome).

KENTA worked his way up through the ranks of the cruiserweight division and ultimately became the top guy as their Heavyweight Champion. When he was signed by the WWE, they even called him KENTA. Eventually, it was changed to Hideo Itami, which isn’t the worst name. It just lacks the intensity of his former, and given name. Even adding Kobayashi would have been a nice touch.

14 Worse: Akam (Sunny Dhinsa)

Sunny is not the name of an a**-kicking, 6-foot-3, 290-pound monster. Sunny is the name of a WWE Hall of Famer who has had her fair share of ups and downs. Actually, it would be hilarious if Akam were to come to the ring announced as the mononyms Sunny. The audience would definitely perk up, anticipating the arrival of the former manager of the Boddydonnas. Akam is a very far cry from the woman who was once America Online’s “Most Downloaded Celebrity on the Internet.”

We admit that Akam isn’t the greatest name in wrestling history. It gets even more groan-worth when it’s paired up alongside Rezar. An Occam’s Razor pun was never going to get a pop out of the WWE Universe. But, it sure beats being confused for one of wrestling’s first Divas.

13 Better: Mandy Rose (Amanda Saccomanno)

Mandy Rose is a presented as one of the strongest women on the WWE roster, she’s a former bodybuilder and was crowned the World Beauty & Fashion Bikini Champion in 2014. But, her name doesn’t fit the persona she is supposed to have. We get the rose analogy, (we’re very smart) that its’s something beautiful but can prick you. It just lacks the punch that her true last name provides. Saccomanno sounds tough. Also, Amanda is much better fitting than Mandy. Mandy sounds like someone in elementary school. Mandy still needs a babysitter and isn’t allowed to use the microwave when her parents aren’t home. Amanda is a woman. And Amanda Saccomanno is a woman who could wipe the floor with just about anyone.

12 Worse: Lars Sullivan (Dylan Miley)

It’s pretty surprising that when the man now known as Lars Sullivan started popping up on episodes of NXT, he initially went by his real name. As Dylan Miley, he could be seen every so often tagging with random jabronis in losing efforts, only for Miley to attack his partners. The name, despite it being his own, was not great for the 300-pounder. Despite also coming in like a wrecking ball, the name Miley generally brings up more memories of VMA twerking and Hannah Montana.

The name Lars Sullivan might be a bit generic for this monster, but it is definitely leaps and bounds better than Dylan Miley. It’s an all-around stronger moniker that fans are going to have to get used to, it seems like they’ve got big plans for the freak from Denver, Colorado.

11 Better: Mojo Rawley (Dean Muhtadi)

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In no world is Dean Muhtadi a great name for a professional wrestler. It’s fine, it just lacks what the French call a certain, “I don’t know what.” It really shows how dreadful of a ring name Ol’ Muhtadi is currently wrestling under. Mojo Rawley. Woof. Come on. That’s rough.

Hey, I love a good Austin Powers joke as much as the next guy. Heck, I JUST made one. But, Mojo? Where does that name even originate from? It was a bad name for the fiery babyface in NXT and the energetic tag team specialist on SmackDown, but it is so much worse for a guy who is supposed to be taken seriously as a tough as nails bad guy.

10 Worse: Nia Jax (Savelina Fanene)

Nia Jax is the perfect name for the woman who is “not like most girls.” It would be very hard for the current Raw Women’s Champion to have a real name that was better than the one she is currently using. It’s really great. It’s simple without being bland and anytime you can bring up memories of Mortal Kombat characters is always a plus so, WWE giving one of their most unstoppable women the same name as MK’s robot-armed strong man definitely doesn’t hurt.

Her real name is too much of a mouthful. “Savelina Fanene” doesn’t have the same cleanliness and is much less succinct than “Nia Jax.” No, we can’t imagine the Irresistible Force going by any other name.

9 Better: Naomi (Trinity Fatu)

This one is a little different than the rest of the entries on this list. Trinity Fatu is not Naomi’s given name. It’s the name she got when she married Jimmy Uso whose real name is Jon Fatu. In no way, shape, or form am I saying that a woman needs to use the name of her husband. That’s bonkers. I just think it would be cool for her to use it because of what the name represents.

Not only would the last name Fatu harken back memories of Rikishi, one of the most beloved wrestlers of the Attitude Era. But, in doing so, it would also be a nod to the entire Anoa’i family. This would instantly connect Naomi to legends like Peter Maivia, Yokozuna, and even The Rock.

8 Worse: Rhyno (Terrance Guido Gerin)

Terrance Guido Gerin is a name that would much better suit Zack Ryder than Rhyno. He has “Guido” in his name, after all. Imagine the former ECW Television and Heavyweight Champion coming down to the ring to the tunes of Body Count, only for him to be announced as Terrance Guido Gerin in Extreme Championship Wrestling? He would have been laughed at! And not in a good way like the Blue World Order was. He would have been laughed out of Philadelphia.

Thank god, Paul Heyman is a legitimate genius in the world of professional wrestling. He had the brilliant idea to name the walking refrigerator “Rhino.” It’s such a fitting name that, despite a vowel-replacement, he has stuck with it for nearly twenty years.

7 Better: No Way Jose (Levis Valenzuela)

No Way Jose has an incredible look, a ridiculous amount of charisma, great size, and isn’t half bad between the ropes. You would think he has everything he needs to be a main event player on WWE’s main roster. Well, there is one thing he doesn’t have: a good ring name.

No Way Jose is, without a shadow of a doubt, the worst name in professional wrestling today. It’s not a name. It’s a snarky response brats in the early-90s would say when they would talk back to their parents while in line at the grocery store. Levis Valenzuela is a much, much better name. It plays up his Dominican heritage and doesn’t make him sound like a total joke.

6 Worse: Sasha Banks (Mercedes Kaestner-Varnado)

The name Sasha Banks perfectly sums up who the character is. It’s a perfect name that is even better when the title of “The Boss” is put in front of it. Sasha is a terrific first name and brings up memories of Beyoncé’s alter-ego Sasha Fierce. Banks, well that is definitely the ideal last name for anybody who wants to be a boss. It’s clean, it’s punchy, you can even bookend it with dollar signs for added effects.

Her real name though, would not have the same effect. Mercedes is actually a really great name for her and her character. In fact, Mercedes Banks would have made a really good name for the 4-time Raw Women’s Champion. Her last name though, Kaestner-Varnado... let’s just say it makes sense why she went by Mercedes KV on the indies.

5 Better: Jason Jordan (Nathan Everhart)

It’s clear as day that the whole Jason Jordan is Kurt Angle’s son was never destined to take off. Now, with the former American Alpha member on the bench following neck surgery, it would be the perfect time to repackage the dude. His real name is surprisingly awesome. Nathan Everhart is a perfect name for a wrestler. A strong first name combined with an awesome last name that brings up thoughts of tenacity, it’s a slam dunk. Just look at it. Everhart. Ever Hart. It works for a feisty babyface or a sarcastic and snarky heel. It’s so much better than the ridiculously basic Jason Jordan. It’s also better than using his kayfabe dad’s last name. Jason Angle? That’s a real mouthful. It’s true, it’s damn true.

4 Worse: Seth Rollins (Colby Lopez)

Colby Lopez. Yeah, no. That’s not really a name you hear and think “future WWE Grand Slam Champion.” Seth Rollins is a much cooler name. It’s not “Tyler Black,” but it’s still pretty dang cool. Especially for any Black Flag fans out there.

While Colby Lopez is not a name that we can imagine a professional wrestler using, but it is a million times better than the very first name he used in the ring, Gixx. That’s right, Gixx. G-I-Double-X. Gixx sounds like the name of a band that would have opened for the mid-west leg of Korn Family Values Tour in 2001. That’s totally a name that a 19-year-old came up with thinking it was totally awesome. It’s not.

3 Better: Dolph Ziggler (Nick Nemeth)

The name Dolph Ziggler is supposed to be a reference to Dirk Diggler, the name of the Marky Mark’s character from Boogie Nights. Dolph Ziggler took on that name in 2008, Boogie Nights came out in 1997. Sure, it’s a great movie, but that 11-year gap totally ruins the joke.

When a name like Dolph Ziggler, it was clear that they were going for a comic book-type name. Here’s the thing, his real name is totally out of a comic book! Nick Nemeth goes along perfect with the Peter Parkers, Bruce Banners, and Fing Fang Fooms (shout out to all of the fans of Marvel’s shorts-wearing dragon) of the world. It makes sense that they wanted to totally rebrand the Showoff after the Spirit Squad debacle, but the switch from Nicky to Nice Nemeth would have done the trick.

2 Worse: AJ Styles (Allen Jones)

There is nothing inherently wrong with the name Allen Jones. Allen Jones is a perfectly cromulent name. It’s also a name that brings back 1,220,000 results when you google it along with the word “accountant.” I’m just saying it is one of the most generic names you can think of. It’s lacking moxie. It’s lacking pizzazz. It’s lacking, dare I say, “style?”

AJ Styles though! That is the name of a superstar. It’s memorable. It’s catchy. It’s, dare I say, “phenomenal?” Oh, I dare. I dare indeed.

It’s a great name that’s as smooth as the wrestler himself. There’s no wonder why he’s been going by AJ Styles for the past 20 years. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.