A name can make or break a wrestler’s career. Just ask John Cena. Under the name of The Prototype, success was definitely limited. However, once he changed to his real name, things started to turn around. Yes, the wrestling business is a wacky one, every inch matters.

In this article, we will take a look at WWE legends that used a real or fake name. We decided to avoid some of the more obvious entries. Most fans are generally aware that Bret Hart used his real name, given the popularity of his family. No, that wasn’t a gimmick but a reality. On the flip side, the likes of Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin grew to fame in the '90s while using gimmick names. We really can’t see Steve Williams and Michael Hickenbottom turning into household names. Rightfully so, WWE changed their names, and that was a wise decision.

Looking at the current landscape, it is rare for a performer to keep their actual name these days. A lot of that has to do with trademarks. WWE loves to hold full ownership of their names. However, exceptions do exist, especially for those coming from prior fame such as Ronda Rousey and Matt Riddle. Changing their real names wouldn’t make much sense given the power both names already hold.

Back in the day, the company was a lot more lenient as you will see in this article. On the flip side, we will also take a look at legends you might have thought used their real name but in fact, it was all a made-up gimmick name. Let’s get started, enjoy folks!

20 Real Name: Jerry Lawler

via WWE

It is truly surreal to learn that Jerry Lawler used one name throughout his entire underrated career and that’s his actual name. We say surreal because the guy debuted in the wrestling business in 1970, converting from a DJ and entering the world of professional wrestling.

Despite all the time that passed, Lawler never strayed away from his real name. These days, he continues on with the WWE appearing sporadically as a panelist for the PPV pre-shows. Fun fact: he does have a middle name, O’Neil.

19 Fake: Pat Patterson (Pierre Clermont)

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Admit it, you thought his real name was Pat Patterson and really didn’t make much of it. However, born in the early 1940s, Patterson went by the name of Pierre Clermont during his earlier days back in Quebec, before he entered the wrestling business.

He went by a couple of other names prior to the one he would become synonymous for. Pat Andrews and Lord Patrick Patterson were some of the other names. Lord Patrick? That sounds like a Lord of the Rings character, but I digress.

18 Real Name: Curt Hennig

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Similar to Jerry Lawler, Curt Hennig used his real name throughout his wrestling career. Making his debut with AWA as “Cool” Curt Hennig, that was only the beginning for the future WWE Hall of Famer.

He would find his niche under the moniker of Mr. Perfect. Who can forget those epic three-pointers and behind the back shots on the court. Those were some of the best montages in wrestling history. As for his son, he didn’t keep the Hennig last name and instead he was changed into Curtis Axel.

17 Fake: Ric Flair (Fred Phillips)

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Ric Flair is an adopted child. His real parents went by the last name of Phillips. Once Flair joined his new family, he was from then on known as Richard Morgan Fliehr, a different spelling as opposed to classic Flair last name we know him for.

It might be hard to believe, but Ric used other names prior to Ric Flair. Two notable names were The Black Scorpion, which sounds rather generic. He also used Ricky Rhodes, which really doesn’t sound all that bad. He would create a legacy like no other under the Ric Flair name, and now, the last name continues to thrive thanks to Flair’s daughter, Charlotte.

16 Real Name: Kevin Nash

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In order for the WCW invasion to work, Kevin Nash needed to use his real name. It added that element of realness. Creating the nWo, Nash played a huge part in the faction’s success. He would never change names again and rightfully so given the success.

Although he struck gold with his real name, Nash would be the first to tell you that he went through a lot of names and gimmicks before landing on his real name. Other names throughout his career included Chet Lemon, Master Blaster Steel Vinnie Vegas and of course, Diesel.

15 Fake: Tommy Dreamer (Thomas Laughlin)

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Some might have thought that the ECW legend used his real name throughout his career. However, that is not the case. His real name is actually Thomas James Laughlin.

Entering the business in the late '80s, Dreamer made his debut under the name of T.D. Madison. However by 1992, he was going by Tommy Dreamer, using the "Dreamer" part of his name as a tribute to Dusty Rhodes. Shortly after, he would join ECW under the name and as they say, the rest is history. These days, even his close and personal friends refer to him as Tommy instead of Thomas.

14 Real Name: Scott Hall

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Similar to Kevin Nash, it was vital for Scott Hall star to revert to his real name when joining WCW. He was a popular figure with WWE under Razor Ramon, though he would reach another level of stardom under his real name with World Championship Wrestling.

Again, like Nash, Hall stumbled with a few gimmicks prior. Who can forget some his classic in-ring names that included Starship Coyote, Texas Scott and Diamond Studd. Seriously, what was in the Kool-Aid back in the day?

13 Fake: Jim Ross (James William Ross)

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The J.R. moniker would still be in use, however, if he kept his real name, we wouldn’t know the beloved WWE commentator by his first name Jim but instead, James. James Ross kind of sounds like a country music singer.

He switched to Jim, which really wasn’t a drastic change. It might be hard to believe but Ross first entered the business in the mid-'70s, becoming the voice of smaller territories such as MWA Tri-State and Universal Wrestling Federation. Joining WWE from WCW in 1993, Ross would go on to become a household name.

12 Real Name: Gail Kim

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It really isn’t all that common for women to keep their real names when entering the wrestling business. Take RAW as an example. Among the female talents, only Ronda Rousey, Natalya and Mickie James were allowed to keep their real names. Over on SmackDown however, not a single female active Superstar uses their real name.

This is what makes Gail Kim’s situation so unique. She was allowed to keep her real name throughout her pro wrestling run and that includes her post-WWE stint with Impact Wrestling. Given her contributions to the business, we hope to see Gail take her rightful place in the WWE’s Hall of Fame someday.

11 Fake: Arn Anderson (Martin Lunde)

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For '80s wrestling fans, this one is a bit of a gut punch. It’s hard to imagine Arn Anderson under a different name aside from Double A! However, in reality, he goes by Marin Anthony Lunde, a name that holds zero resemblance to his wrestling persona.

He briefly wrestled under Marty Lunde, which actually sounds like a long lost member of The Rockers more so than a member of The Four Horsemen. Super Olympia is another name he briefly used. Obviously, he struck gold under Arn Anderson. The name we will always remember.

10 Real Name: Bruno Sammartino

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Bruno Sammartino  was one of the earliest examples of a wrestler living the gimmick. Not only was he Bruno outside of the ring but he was the same classy dude in the squared circle. Vince McMahon Sr. saw the value in Bruno giving him a lengthy title run of 11 years (two reigns in that time).

Following the end of his WWE run, Bruno would retire from the industry. He opted against wrestling elsewhere, choosing to call it a career instead. Everything about this guy is just so genuine and that includes his name and gimmick. When it comes to the greatest of all-time, Bruno must be in the conversation.

9 Fake: William Regal (Darren Matthews)

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Although William Regal went through a boatload of names throughout his career, the Regal moniker was usually in place, leading many to believe that this was his actual last name. Let’s rewind to some of his former names; King Regal, Roy Regal, Sir William Regal, Steve Regal, Steven Regal and Lord Steven Regal.

Other names without the Regal last name; Hellraiser, Steve Jones and his real name for a brief time period, Darren Matthews. Imagine combining two of those names. The Hellraiser Steve Jones? Perhaps Steve Austin wouldn’t be all that pleased with that.

8 Real Name: Mark Henry

via WWE

A record breaking power-lifter, it was only normal that WWE would chose to keep Mark Henry’s name intact when he joined the company. WWE had hopes for Mark early on, however things fell flat. In the ring, he wasn’t performing as expected and behind the scenes, he carried himself way too seriously.

Like everything else, Henry would adapt to the WWE landscape in time. He turned into not only a WWE Hall of Famer for his work in the ring, but one of the most respected faces behind the scenes. Talk about a turnaround. He did all of that while using his real-name throughout his pro wrestling career.

7 Fake: Bobby Heenan (Raymond Heenan)

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Who is the greatest manager in pro wrestling history? We know him as Bobby Heenan. In fact, he made his debut in the industry under that moniker joining the WWA back in the mid-'60s.

Prior to his wrestling career, Heenan was simply knows as Raymond Louis Heenan, a kid from Chicago that aspired to make it in the wrestling business. He started off helping out the other wrestlers backstage and selling memorabilia prior to shows. Ultimately, it all worked out. He would go on to sign a deal with WWE in the mid-'80s ,and his professional career really took off from there.

6 Real Name: Brian Pillman

via WWE

During an era full of made up gimmick names, Brian Pillman thrived under his real name during the Attitude Era (although he used a couple of fake names prior with other promotions). Pillman personified what that time period was all about; wacky television that was so unpredictable on a weekly basis.

Although he left us far too soon, his son, Brian Pillman Jr. continues to carry the family name proudly these days on the indie circuit. We hope to see the Pillman family name in a WWE ring once again in the future.

5 Fake: Lex Luger (Lawrence Pfohl)

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Was I the only one that called this guy “Lex Luthor” back in my younger days? Crickets? Okay, I probably was. Well, Lex Luger actually used the Luthor comic book name as inspiration for his name change.

Prior to the pro wrestling days, he was a top tier football guy known as Lawrence Pfohl. Thanks to his glorious genetics and top tier physique, he would transfer from football to pro wrestling. His look propelled his career to major highs. At one point, he was regarded as Hogan’s predecessor with WWE. Despite the fact that this didn’t come to fruition, he still found success. Especially during his time with World Championship Wrestling.

4 Real Name: Jeff Jarrett

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This year, Jeff Jarrett finally joined the WWE Hall of Fame class. It was about darn time. A rarity in the business, especially with the new crop of talent nowadays, Jarrett used his real name throughout his career. Even during his earlier days prior to WWE with the USWA promotion.

Although Jarrett did quite well with WWE, he really started to flourish as an upper-card talent with WCW. During their tough days, Jeff was the marquee villain for the company. Following the company’s demise, that trajectory continued with TNA Wrestling.

3 Fake: Trish Stratus (Patricia Anne Stratigeas)

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Can you imagine Trish Stratus making a name for herself under the moniker of Patricia Anne? Nope, we simply cannot.

Making her debut as a manager in 2000, she was quickly labeled as Trish Stratus, a name that would stick throughout her career. Trish’s progress is truly remarkable to look back on. She started off as eye-candy with managerial skills. Years later, she would be known as one of the greatest in-ring performers in the history of the Women’s Division. Before the current revolution took place, Trish was putting an emphasis on the in-ring aspect of female talent.

2 Real Name: Kurt Angle

via Wrestle Yard

Although Ronda Rousey gets all the praise these days for learning her craft so quickly, let’s not forget about Kurt Angle. With a background as a prolific amateur wrestler, Kurt transitioned into pro wrestling like no one had ever before. Not only that, his promos also hit the mark early on - something Rousey currently struggles with.

Yes, he did have a brief run as The Conquistador most recently. Nonetheless, WWE wisely chose to keep the Angle name intact, especially given his storied history prior to joining the company. Don’t forget, he won a gold medal with a broken freaking neck!

1 Fake: Chris Jericho (Christopher Keith Irvine)

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Given that Chris Jericho’s father had a stint in the NHL, it is a bit of a surprise that promoters didn’t take advantage of that, allowing Jericho to use his real last name, Irvine. Prior to WWE, he experimented with other names such as Super Liger, and who can forget, The Lionheart.

He struck gold as Y2J Chris Jericho as his debut was one of the greatest ever. Although he struggled after that, Chris would eventually find his footing becoming on the very best ever. At age 48, he’s still going strong today outside of WWE.