Charlotte Flair didn't want to be called Charlotte Flair in WWE

If WWE listened to Charlotte Flair, she would have had a drastically different superstar name. The Women's Tag Team Champion recently shared the backstage story behind her in-ring moniker.

While we know her as Charlotte Flair now, she did not initially adopt the famous Flair name. The real-life Ashley Elizabeth Fliehr debuted as Charlotte in WWE NXT. Even before that, she had pitched different stage names.

Speaking on Post Run High, the popular star explained it was the company's decision to name her Charlotte since her father, two-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair, was billed from Charlotte, North Carolina:

"I pitched a few names. I pitched Elizabeth Reid. I loved Miss Elizabeth, and then my little brother's name was Reid. But they were like, 'No, your dad's from Charlotte. We'll name you Charlotte.'"

---

Why Charlotte Flair did not debut as Ashley Flair in WWE

In the same interview on Post Run High, Charlotte was asked about the importance of having a stage name in World Wrestling Entertainment. The current champion admitted she could have gone by Ashley Flair. However, there was an effort to distance herself from her legendary father:

"I could have gone by Ashley Flair, to be honest. Probably, being Ric's kid, it was like, 'We're gonna give her a stage name, like, not be Ashley Flair.' When I first started, I wasn't Charlotte Flair. I was just Charlotte. They didn't attach my last name until four or five years later. I did not become Charlotte Flair until I grew into it."

She explained that at the time, there was significant pressure on her to succeed, being Ric Flair's daughter. Debuting as Charlotte Flair would have only intensified the comparisons. Thankfully, she did succeed in the wrestling business in a big way and eventually embraced her current name.

---

Please credit Post Run High and give an H/T to Sportskeeda for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.