'RuPaul's Drag Race' Queens Who Had Different Names Before The Show

“Wait, what did you just call them?!”

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Finding the perfect name for your drag persona and aesthetic can be incredibly difficult. In fact, there is a long list of RuPaul’s Drag Race queens who had completely different drag names prior to the show.

In some cases, contestants have had to slightly alter their drag names right before Drag Race in order to compete on the show. For most queens, though, it just so happened that they had a different name when they first started doing drag. By the time they got on Drag Race, they had already changed their stage name for some time.

Whatever the reason may be, it’s always interesting to find out what a drag performer used to be called. Some of them have such iconic names and brands that it’s hard to imagine calling them anything else. And yet, at some point, they were indeed called something else!

Scroll through to find out the original drag name of these RuPaul’s Drag Race queens before they competed on the show.

Adore Delano - Violet Valentine

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Prior to competing on Drag Race, Adore Delano originally used the stage name Violet Valentine.

BenDeLaCreme - Teena Angst

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Teena Angst was the original drag name of season six Miss Congeniality winner BenDeLaCreme.

Bob the Drag Queen - Kitten Withawhip

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Drag Race season eight winner Bob the Drag Queen was called Kitten Withawhip when she started doing drag.

Brooke Lynn Hytes - Jackie D, Carmen, Bianca

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Over the years, season 11 runner-up Brooke Lynn Hytes had several drag names that included Jackie D, Carmen, and Bianca.

Chad Michaels - Brigette Love

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Season four runner-up and All Stars 1 winner Chad Michaels previously went by the stage name Brigette Love.

Courtney Act - Ginger Le’Bon

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Courtney Act, who finished as a runner-up in season six, had Ginger Le’Bon as her original drag name.

Darienne Lake - Tracy Turnblad

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Drag Race season six contestant Darienne Lake originally called herself Tracy Turnblad in drag. For context, that is the name of the main character in the musical Hairspray.

Dax ExclamationPoint - Chlamydia Saint James

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Chlamydia Saint James was a drag name previously used by season eight star Dax ExclamationPoint.

Denali - Tonya Hardon

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Denali Foxx dropped her last name to compete on Drag Race season 13. But even before that, this queen used the original drag name Tonya Hardon as a reference to figure skater Tonya Harding.

Detox - Detox Icunt

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Detox dropped her original last name in drag, Icunt, in order to compete on the fifth season of Drag Race.

India Ferrah - Jenna Michaels

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India Ferrah, who was first introduced in the third season of Drag Race, went by the name Jenna Michaels originally.

Ivy Winters - Ivy West

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Ivy Winters had a different last name before Drag Race. The season five Miss Congeniality winner was called Ivy West.

Jasmine Kennedie - Jasmine Rikers

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Jasmine Kennedie, who competed in season 14 of Drag Race, originally used the drag name Jasmine Rikers.

Jiggly Caliente - Jiggly Puff

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Season four and All Stars 6 star Jiggly Caliente was originally called Jiggly Puff, which is the name of a Pokémon.

Jinkx Monsoon - Heidi Destruction

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Two-time Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon was once called Heidi Destruction as a drag persona.

Joslyn Fox - Billie Wicked

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Billie Wicked was the original drag name used by season six star Joslyn Fox.

Kahmora Hall - Yoko Tsunami

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Yoko Tsunami was the original drag name of season 13 star Kahmora Hall.

Katya - Katie Homophobia

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Before appearing on Drag Race season seven, Katya used the drag name Katie Homophobia for certain performances in Boston.

Kelly Mantle - Brandy Warhol

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Kelly Mantle was originally called Brandy Warhol – a reference to Andy Warhol – before her time on Drag Race season six.

Kennedy Davenport - Mia

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Kennedy Davenport, who competed in season seven and All Stars 3, originally used the drag name Mia.

Kim Chi - Jizzney Princess

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Jizzney Princess was the original drag name of season eight runner-up Kim Chi.

Milk - Gisele Peacock

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Gisele Peacock was the original drag name of Milk before her time competing in season six of Drag Race.

Mimi Imfurst - Delilah Demistra

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Prior to competing in the third season of Drag Race, Mimi Imfurst was first known by the drag name Delilah Demistra.

Miss Fame - Fame Fatale

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Drag Race season seven star Miss Fame used to go by Fame Fatale in drag.

Miz Cracker - Brianna Cracker

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Miz Cracker revealed on Drag Race that her original drag name was Brianna Cracker.

Mo Heart - Kutahbetch

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Introduced as Monique Heart on Drag Race season 10, this queen has since changed her name to Mo Heart. Before the show, she originally used the stage name Kutahbetch.

Nina Bo’Nina Brown - Beeta Bitchass

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The ever-changing Nina Bo’Nina Brown had the original stage name Beeta Bitchass when she started doing drag.

Ongina - Pek Pek Galore

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Season one OG Ongina was called Pek Pek Galore in drag.

Pearl - Vladonna

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Season seven runner-up Pearl had the drag name Vladonna before her time on Drag Race.

Penny Tration - The Drag Queen Helga

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Drag Race season five star Penny Tration’s original drag name was The Drag Queen Helga.

Phi Phi O’Hara - Phoenix O’Hara

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Phi Phi O’Hara used to be called Phoenix O’Hara before Drag Race season four. However, because a queen named Phoenix had just competed in the third season, it was decided that she should change her name to Phi Phi.

Raven - Phoenix

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#AnotherOne! Raven’s original drag name was also Phoenix, but she changed it to Raven by the time she competed on Drag Race season two.

Rebecca Glasscock - Roxy Lame

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Rebecca Glasscock, who was a finalist in the first-ever season of Drag Race, was originally called Roxy Lame in drag.

Sahara Davenport - Sahara Simone

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Before she became a part of the Davenport family, season two star Sahara Davenport’s drag name was Sahara Simone.

Silky Nutmeg Ganache - Lasagna Frozeen

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The iconic Silky Nutmeg Ganache was called Lasagna Frozeen prior to competing on season 11, All Stars 6, and Canada vs the World.

Symone - Delilah Alamein

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Symone, the winner of Drag Race season 13, used to have the drag name Delilah Alamein.

Thorgy Thor - Shenanigans

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Season eight and All Stars 3 queen Thorgy Thor previously used the drag name Shenanigans.

Trixie Mattel - Chicken Fingers

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Trixie Mattel, who won All Stars 3, was originally called Chicken Fingers in drag.

Venus D-Lite - D-Lite

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Drag Race season three star Venus D-Lite was previously just called D-Lite.

Violet Chachki - Blair

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Violet Chachki, who won season seven of Drag Race, had a pretty straightforward original drag name: Blair.

Yvie Oddly - Avon Eve

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The winner of Drag Race season 11 had the original drag name Avon Eve before becoming Yvie Oddly.