What is the story behind NXT Superstar Mariah May's new WWE name?

Former AEW Women’s World Champion Mariah May officially arrived in WWE on last week's NXT. The British superstar debuted in NXT after months of speculation, with her AEW contract reportedly expiring just days before her arrival. May's new ring name was revealed this week in a vignette: Blake Monroe.

The name Blake Monroe carries personal meaning. "Blake" is a tribute to her niece, while “Monroe” is a direct nod to Marilyn Monroe, whose influence was clear throughout Mariah May’s AEW run, especially during her standout feud with Toni Storm.

May's presentation followed a recent trend in WWE NXT, where new arrivals establish their persona before revealing their name. Blake Monroe debuted last week and declared that she had finally arrived before announcing that she had her sights set on the NXT Women's Championship. Her actual name was not mentioned, with only her nickname, The Glamour, being referenced by the commentators.

The former AEW Women's World Champion's moniker was officially disclosed this week in the vignette embedded below.

The name change doesn’t come as a surprise, albeit it has garnered a mixed reception. Jade Cargill, Ethan Page, Shawn Spears, Stephanie Vaquer, Jordynne Grace, Giulia, and more not only retained their personas but also their original names. This led to the belief that WWE had relaxed its name-change policy following Vince McMahon's departure.

It seems as though May's name change was another case of WWE wanting to trademark the moniker, something that The Glamour was not willing to concede.

It is a similar approach to what WWE recently did with Ricky Starks, now known as Ricky Saints, whose name wasn’t revealed until after his debut. The strategy seems to give the persona time to breathe while final details get ironed out behind the scenes.

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Mariah May's (Blake Monroe) journey to WWE

Even before her AEW contract expired, there were strong rumors that Mariah May had her eyes on WWE, and vice versa. It is rumored that The Glamour made her decision even before losing the AEW Women's World Championship back to Toni Storm.

AEW reportedly did offer her more money to stay, but the bigger picture was always clear—Mariah May wanted WrestleMania, and WWE is where that dream lives, even if one's name has to change to Blake Monroe.

The recent call-ups of Giulia, Roxanne Perez, and Stephanie Vaquer all but confirmed Mariah May's arrival in NXT. She is expected to have a brief NXT run before she is showcased under the brightest lights on RAW or SmackDown.